


I'm almost me again, she's almost you

by saknussemm



Category: Andrew Hozier-Byrne (Musician)
Genre: Asexual Character, Breaking Up & Making Up, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Post-Break Up, Romance, Slow Burn, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:22:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 26,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26826571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saknussemm/pseuds/saknussemm
Summary: Pyra and Andrew were together for a few months before a messy break up happened and they never spoke again, not even about the things they had to.Four years later Pyra goes to a concert looking for closure, she finds more than she bargained for.They find eachother again.
Relationships: Andrew Hozier-Byrne/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

Life is hard on everyone, seems to have her favourites and definitely there’s people she enjoys torturing. For her it was just the medium hard, she thought, with a family barely able to pay for her studies she still had both a family and a degree.

Work took too much of her time and was exhausting both physical and mentally but she was used to it now, it kept her active and was rewarding enough to dedicate the rest of her life to it, apart for the money, of course, she had a family to take care of, after all.

This situation, though, she coulnd’t blame anyone but herself. No one made her buy the ticket and sure as hell no one was pointing a gun to her head to make her attend. Just as she was folding her work clothes and putting them inside her bag with more force than necessary, she made sure she was alone in the changing room before resting hr forehead against the cold metal of the locker’s door and groan loudly.

It was a stupid thing to do. The kind of thing she had been stopping her friends from doing for years. It’s the kind of thing movies teach you “the dangers of time travel” over, when you try to go back in time and stop your old self from doing something. Nonetheless she was still zipping her bag shut and putting on her boots.

She liked to think it was closure for the grieving she never got. At the time they broke up her life was a mess and the only thing keeping her sane was working her ass off at the hospital where they enslaved her. After it was over she was too busy being glad for it and it had been too long to process the feelings correctly.

Through the years, Pyra had wondered what had gone wrong, what could they have done to make it last, to make it better. She found the same answer every time. There was nothing. They were who they were back then, and the timing had just been awful. She was never one for _ifs,_ because it just didn’t make any sense to waste any time or energy on the possibilities that had not been there and never would. It was what it was. But she believed in working things through, on getting over things.

Apparently, that resumed on buying a ticket for a show where your ex-boyfriend from almost five years ago was singing when coming to the city you now lived on.

Would that giver her closure? She hoped. Was she scared of seeing him again? Sure. Would they meet again? Not likely. Did she still want to go because he was a great musician and even if she had not been in any way involved with him in the past, she was sure she would love his music? To put it simply, yes.

So here she was, on her way to the concert trying to brainwash herself into thinking this was a good idea just as she had been doing the last two months since she bought the ticket.

The venue was full of energy and everything that was going on around her made her forget about her worries for a moment, until the lights went out and he came to the centre of the stage.

Him, with his long legs and slim body. His wild curls the longest she had ever seen them, going past his shoulders. He was smiling so bright, greeting everyone and thanking them for coming. The crowd was going wild around her, but she couldn’t move. She must have looked terrified, but no one stopped to look at her, they all wanted to look at him.

When he started to sing, his voice didn’t spark memories in her brain as she thought it would happen. Her mind went blank and it was like a spell fell on her, on all of them, supporting all those sayings of him being a fae prince that went around the fandom. Just like that, she forgot everything, screaming lyrics to the top of her lungs, dancing around with strangers to the beat of the music.

It was all going well until the words “fell in love with the fire long ago” echoed by hundreds of voices were sung by him. The spell broke and she came back to reality feeling cold as if she had been submerged in a pool of freezing water. The bodies around her roared as the chorus of the song came but her heart was hammering against her ribs and something told her she had to get out of there.

The cold air of the streets made her feel a little more oriented, she could still hear the music and the screams, but it was muffled as f she was dreaming. She wished she was. It was grief fuelled anxiety, she knew it well, her lips were trembling, she wanted to cry. Suddenly it was as if all those years had not passed, as if they had just ended thing with loud voices and a final door slam, as if she had not just showered and slept through the night because she had an exam at first hour next morning. But next morning just came, and the next exam was around the corner, so she studied, and after a couple of months it downed on her what had happened, but her feelings were numb now to process them. Not tonight, though. Even as this was not exactly how she envisioned the night going, as she found a place to sit and cry her heart out hidden by the shadows and the noise of the concert.

This had been better than anything she could have hoped for tonight. No one came close o her to ask her if she was alright, which worried her when her outburst started but was very well forgotten after a few minutes.

With a final sigh and intake of fresh air she let herself relax on the bench. She felt lighter and incredibly tired and hungry. Pulling her bag over her shoulder she started her search for a late-night diner she very much needed.

Andrew started to think he was hallucinating, he also suspected the biscuits he had been given on their way to the show were not as innocent as they looked like.

The energy of the people around made him feel as if every nerve of his body was alight, the beating of his heart a mere echo of the drums, the freedom and power ran through his veins as his voice carried the emotion of a thousand life times.

A flash of blue light enlightened a face for a fraction of a second, everyone was moving with him except for her. He closed his eyes for a higher note and when his brain caught up and he tried to find her face again she was gone. Perhaps she had never been there in the first place, his mind playing tricks. What would she be doing there, anyway? It made no sense.

He was too high on the moment to allow his heart a little bit more than a couple of stuttering movements before getting himself lost in the music. If his voice was a little rougher and, as he bowed thanking everyone for accompanying him tonight, his eyes filled hit tears it could be blamed on the raw state his soul became when he connected with the art he was performing.

The adrenaline rush came down much faster than usual. His throat was bothering him, maybe it was the weather, maybe he had outdone himself; his eyes started to itch, surely it was the pollution of the city. He refused to believe it was his body pleading for a moment of solitude to unleash.

In a merciful gift from fate, the car that was taking him back to the hotel stopped for a red light. He looked out the window and before he knew what he was doing he asked the driver to get his things there, he would see her tomorrow.

The cold air was shocking, his longs frosted making it harder to breath.

As he came closer to the restaurant his pulse quickened, his mind going from excited to panicked in seconds, but his feet never stopped. He made it in, the warm temperature made his thoughts a little clearer, but there were not many of them. He focused on her, she sat alone on a table by the window, mixing her steaming beverage with slumped shoulders.

Before he knew it he was standing right there by her table, shadowing her from the warm light that came from the ceiling.

"Erm…" her movements froze, immediately her head whipped up and found him there. She imagined her eyes wide open, her brain scrambling to come back to reality, to make sense of the scene. He looked so uncomfortable, queasy, like he didn’t want to be there. He put his hands in the pockets of his coat and began mowing his lower lip like he always did when he didn’t know what to say.

"Fuck", she spat, he let out a small breathless laugh only to regret it immediately and just curled a little tighter into his long self.

"Jesus Christ. Why are you here?" She said shocked, her posture straightened, her elbow tipped her empty cup off the table, it broke with the impact against the floor, the sound suddenly to loud for her racing mind, it made her jump.

"Fuck", she said one more time looking at the mess, her stomach coiled and she reached down to attempt cleaning but the waiter came running with a cloth in one hand and a broom in the other, he almost pushed Andrew to the side in his hurry, stopping her hands with a warning of sharp edges and hot liquid. Andrew stayed put, frozen and hurting by just the sight of her so close, so cold and tired, alert and nervous, the bags under her eyes just took him back in time and his chest felt hollow.

The waiter offered to relocate her food on the table right next to hers, she nodded awkwardly and just stood by Andrew‘s side as her things ware moved by the kind waiter before he actually began to clean.

"I'm so sorry", she muttered, and thanked him five times before plopping down on the chair and sighing, she looked up, defeat painting her features and said, "coffee?".

He nodded, finding himself suddenly mute. He sat down and tried to make himself as small as he could, which wasn’t much. He felt so out of place, she looked at him like she didn’t want to. He thought that maybe he should not speak ever again, being the possibility of hurting her just like the last time they saw each other.

The waiter, bless him, brought them two brand new cups of hot coffee without them asking, they were not present enough to. As he placed them on the table, Andrew saw her rapidly rubbing her thumb and pointer finger together, something she had been doing since before they met, a trick she used to keep the tears at bay when she wanted to cry in public, one that he had found useful practicing on occasion.

When they were finally left alone, he took the cup in his hands only to give them something to hold. "I'm sorry", is the only thing he said, the only thing he could think of. It’s the only thing he'd been able to think every time he thought about her for the last four years.

She had been looking everywhere but him, but his voice brought her dark eyes straight to his face, looking into his eyes she tightened her lips and took a sip of the too hot coffee to get off the feeling of her dry throat. Suddenly, right before his eyes, she transformed. Pyra blinked the sorrow away, sat a little bit taller and her eyes turned hard behind fresh tears. "Me too" she said with a clear voice, a tear fell from each eye carving her cheeks on their way down making him wonder how she could talk through tears with her voice so steady.

The waiter appeared them, the embody of professionalism, looking unaffected, to hand hem a menu each. She smiled and thanked him, for the hundredth time tonight, and didn’t even try to wipe the tears away. Andrew is sure he sees them but doesn’t comment on it.

"Pyra" her name is like a spell, so foreign in his mouth for he has not spoken it in so long. It cut through the air, suddenly bringing them down to reality, the lights turned bright enough to hurt and the air too sharp to breath.

"Listen, Andrew", even though she tried making her tone gentle, his name coming from her lips made is blood run hot and sticky. Her fingers intertwined, and she rested her hands on the table. She inhaled deep, a breath of courage for the coming words, "We both said things we regret. At least I regret them". A pause," I don’t think we are the same people we were back then" she added with her next breath.

He didn’t know if he imagined the time slowing down, the words seemed pronounced too long ago, he tried to catch up, "I must… you must know… I-" the waiter was there again, saving him from her eyes, giving him some time, ready to take their orders, he legalises he didn’t even try to read the menu that was given to him, so he asks for a burger with fries just as she does. They were alone again, his eyes close on an attempt to make his thoughts a little clearer. “What happened between us”, he begins but loses conviction, “… I… erm… I'm sorry". When he opens them again, she is nodding. Her face a clean slate; she understands; he hopes she does.

"We were so young" the words seem to just find their way out before he can stop them, his brain seems to have been unfrozen and ready to let out all the feelings he’s suppressed until that moment. "Particularly obtuse, too" she said, impartial.

"Emotionally immature" he added, only to be followed by her saying: "Ah! There it is" with small smile. Another silence, his lips twitch with the beginning of a smile.

Their food arrives and gives them a needed distraction. "I'm not proud of who I was back then", she said quietly, her words sound fragile for the first time tonight. For him is like porcelain breaking for the second time in the past hour, he doesn’t understand how she could say such thing.

"I am" he stated, surer of that than everything he’s said that night, it came too harsh, too fast and loud. He closed his eyes tight, cringing, "erm… I mean. I am proud of you. Was proud of you, back then". He tries to fix it with more words and looks for her eyes, judging it wise to keep talking. She was listening, so he continued, "You were amazing. I wanted… I thought you should know".

Like a deer found by the light of a hunter´s torch for the first time, completely bewildered, like she didn’t hear him correctly, like she couldn’t believe him. She just stared at him, through him, so much feeling. "Thank you, Andrew. It means a lot", it sounded deep and heavy, at the same time it worked like a salve, like honey on a wound that had been open for far too long.

They allow themselves a moment to soak in the situation, on the words, on the turmoil of mixed feelings.

"You were marvellous tonight", she said casually, like they were just having dinner after a long week of work, which they were, but with a newfound familiarity that startled them both but neither had the heart to comment on. She occupied herself putting ketchup right beside her fries. He refrained himself from doing the same not wanting break the spell, to take the risk to accidentally touch her. He didn’t think he could take it. He also said nothing.

"I've been… listening" she added after a few seconds, just to keep the conversation going , "The album is just…",scratching her nose just to save herself some time to choose the right words cautiously only to be left with just "a masterpiece", which came breathlessly and maybe a little bit too sweet to her liking.

His ears started ringing and he felt his cheeks warm up, "I don’t- I wouldn’t call it that" he tried. She huffed a laugh, she eyed him with a knowing smile and said, "of course you wouldn’t". She took a french fry and used it to point at him, "…but it fucking is", she finished and put it in her mouth. Andrew wanted to cry. Cry for the pain he felt so long ago, for the longing it carried, for every word he wrote down to be turned in that album that deep down was one way linked to memories of her. If she only knew. He realized right then and there, that he could tell her, but he did not. He limited himself to say a raw and honest "I've missed you".

Her voice finally broke when she whispered, "I’ve missed you too".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first fanfic I've been able to write in ages. I have to thank our Fae prince for the inspiration. 
> 
> All the love, X


	2. Chapter 2

In the safety of their newfound comfort, the exhaustion of the day fell on both. The energy needed to speak is too grand.

The meal was gone by the time the waiter came by to tell them they were closing. She was fast to pay for both of them before he could argue. Still in silence they made their way outside side by side. The air was cold and she could smell the rain. He followed her down the street, not knowing where to, not caring either.

The streets were not empty in any way, but the energy was calm and electric, like the feeling he had on his skin, his fingertips itching to touch her and know if she was really there, no fear this time They walked in sweet silence, their overloaded senses enjoying the humidity in the air, the rumble of feet against the concrete and the soft breathing of each other.

“Have you been living here for long?” he asked before he knew he had, looking down at her without stopping his steps. She nodded, “Like a year and a half I moved for a job. It’s quite good and I’ve always wanted to explore New York, you know?”.

“Everything seems to ever happen in New York”, they said together and shared a grin, an echo of a conversation had in another age, laughter followed the meeting of eyes and the sky seemed to agree as a lightning bolt pierced the clouds and a booming roar reverberated against the glass of the windows on the buildings around them.

It made Pyra think. “Is your hotel too far away?” she asked, which made Andrew stop and look around, “I have no idea”, he said with another laugh, once again he found himself not caring much.

“Come to mine? I think it’s going to rain soon and it’ isn’t too far”, an honest suggestion she didn’t feel as uncomfortable giving as she thought she would, especially after him stuttered a nod and asked if they should take a  _ taxi _ , smiling at his choice of words, or maybe just because he was content in general _. _

A passing yellow car picked them up and once they were on their way he noticed the big backpack she’d been carrying. She caught him staring and smiled out the window, truly pleased and at ease for the first time tonight, “work clothes…”, then the smile faded a little when she looked right at him, “wouldn’t be cool if I showed up at a Hozier concert in scrubs, would it?”. He smiled, small and shy, “I think it would be, actually”. She grinned this time, “don’t be ridiculous”, she scuffed. This time the silence is lighter, more familiar and quite welcome.

A few minutes along the ride the water came hitting down on the vehicle, soon the streets were completely covered in water. When they got off the taxi and ran across the sidewalk to make it to the dry door a lightning illuminated the earth and their faces, touching a skyscraper close enough for them to see it, the thunder made the glass of the crystal on the door of her building tremble and Pyra found herself unable to stop smiling as she looked for her keys inside her bag.

“C’mon”, she said, “It’ll just get worse”. As on cue the rain started coming down harder and the street in front of them turned into a small river with trash swimming in it instead of fish.

She let him in and closed the door behind them. The hallway was empty except for a drying plant that sat on the side of the stairs, it was quiet, only the echo of the rain outside and muffled TV noises could be heard through the walls, shielded now from the wind they weren't as warm as Andrew thought they would be indoors, he tightened his coat around his frame unconsciously.

Pyra's apartment was on the third floor, the farthest door from the stairs. She used her keys to unlock the three locks on the door. "Living in New York, am I right?" She said with a smile as she pushed it open and let him go in first.

After replacing the locks, Pyra let her bag on the floor and toed her shoes off.

“The floor is cold, but… Can you take your shoes off?” she asked apologetically. Andrew nodded and did as instructed in silence. “I apologise. It would just get water everywhere”.

“It’s alright” he said with a soft voice. Andrew allowed himself to look at her. Under the bright light she looked solid and real, he placed his hand on her shoulder making her whip her head with surprise in her eyes, “Thanks for having me” he told her. He could feel her warmth under his fingertips and broke the caress in fear of having crossed a boundary. 

"It's nice seeing you again", her voice merely a whisper. 

It was nice meeting again, for both of them. They had somehow fallen into an easy going conversation. Catching up like old friends, as if their great discussion and eventual one night hell of a break up had not happened and they had just lost touch for some other reason. 

"So it is a painting", she said looking intently at her phone screen. "I can't believe it", she was looking at a zoomed in image of the cover of 'Wasteland, baby!'. 

"I know! Don't let her hear you, though, it'll get to her head", he commented, earning himself a punch to the arm. "Don't be mean to your mother, young man", she scolded him as he rubbed the spot absently. 

"So violent", He muttered and she smiled at him. "What did you say? You want another one?". He held both hands in defense, "I'm good. I'm good". 

Their laughter came loud and effortless, interrupted only by the ringing of Pyra's phone. 

She stared at it frowning before answering the call. 

"Hello?", the person on the other side saide something that made Pyra look even more confused and stand up from the couch they had cozied themselves in. She went to the window and peaked through the curtains. 

"Oh, shit", exclaimed before laughing, "No, I… it went fine I'll calm you later, yes?... I haven't slept at all". She opened the curtains completely and in the distance Andrew could see the sun rising over the city.  _ Oh, shit. In deed.  _

"I think we might have lost track of time, my friend", she had a wide grin on her face. Her eyes looked tired but she radiated energy. "Can I tempt you to some early breakfast?". 

When he stood he felt the muscles of his legs protesting. Stretching like a cat, he felt his vertebrae cracking in a satisfying pain. 

"Do you have any tea?" He wasked, following her bare footsteps into the small kitchen. 

"Of course I don't", she said into the fridge, "Are eggs okay?". 

"Yes, thank you". He tried to make himself useful and looked for a pan before turning on the stove. 

"I can order you some tea, though", she broke four eggshells and verted them into a bowl. "Uber eats? My phone is on the couch. There is a coffee shop close to here, Wallie's. Can you order me a large orange juice? I'll get this sorted". 

With the beverages on their way, he placed the phone on the counter and took a couple of bread slices to put in the toaster. 

"Almost done". She flipped the omelet, and stirred the potatoes she was frying in another pan. 

"That's a lot of carbs for breakfast", he said before looking inside the fridge and taking a container with strawberries. "Here. We are healthy again". 

"Sure", Pyra giggled. "You just redimed all our sins".

With a self satisfied smile still on his lips he went down to recieve their drinks. 

When he got back she had already served the food and taken a seat lazily on a chair. 

"I can't believe you don't have  _ any _ kind of tea", he said placing their cups on the table, "It's basic needs of a household", he took a seat right in front of her. 

She raised an eyebrow at him, "That's a lie", she took a bite of her toast, standing up to look for butter before the next one, "Had I knew you would be coming I would have gotten some". 

"No, you wouldn't", Andrew said before taking a welcome sip from his steaming tea.

"I would have!", She exclaimed spreading butter on the bitten bread. 

He shook his head and looked down at his plate, "You would have bought some to brew it and throw it hot to my face". 

"I mean… you could do with some reconstructive surgery", she received a flying potato for her comment which just made her laugh louder. The sweetest of views, he thought. 

The food seemed to settle the truce between them. The nap they took on opposite sides of the couch in front of a movie still playing in her laptop worked as a balm on burnt skin. 

A new beginning for worn hearts. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated.   
> Please let me know what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

A new day started when the sun was halfway through the sky. The air of the city was in no way clean or pure, but for Andrew it was as if he was taking a breath of fresh air for the first time in years.

He had woken up with a stiff body, his legs tangled with Pyra’s on the couch, a thick knitted cover thrown over both. Agile unlike himself, he managed to get out her apartment without waking her up or even making her stir. A phone number left scribbled on the corner of a napkin, folded carefully to be noticed, laying on top of the hibernating laptop, a sweet goodbye kiss on their eventful night.

His friends waited for him at the bar, very well around noon. No one seemed to notice him gone for the night. He was glad. He didn’t think he could handle talking about his encounter with Pyra just yet. He had so many feelings to process he couldn’t even begin to picture them as something defined, he felt overwhelmed.

He tried to participate as little as possible on the conversation, not wanting to accidentally say something about Pyra, but careful to pay attention and avoid zoning out inside his own mind, which could result in an even more thorough interrogation. He was always an open book, his words often getting out without his consent he had learned to embrace them and live without regretting the things he had said but knowing when an apology was in place. For tonight he would be quiet and blame it on feeling unwell, just to be able to escape the night out that was being concocted through early drinks and greasy food.

Later, in the privacy of his room, he laid fully clothed with his shoes still on and his arms out, almost reaching the border of the professionally made bed. Under the darkness of his closed lids, he felt every feeling settling down, like falling snowflakes, piece by piece.

He found himself thinking about all that nervousness from the first moments they shared last night. They had felt like cold needles all over his skin, a spear though his heart. In only seconds, his brain tried to bring years of expectations to the front of his thoughts, so many that in that moment his mind was blank and he was only able to feel.

In the morning it happened again. He woke up in a strange room with a warm body against his own, but in the ease and tranquillity of the moment he allowed himself to just feel again. No thoughts were had. He just lived a short idyll, no world existed apart from their breathing. A much more welcome feeling, but one that couldn’t exist without the former.

It was useless try denying how easily they had fallen into their previous dynamic, as if no time, seas or circumstances had come between them. Although, he recognized, they were very different now, changed shapes that somehow still fit together.

A ping from his phone caught his attention. He rolled closer to the bedside table and unplugged the device to read his notifications.

\- _Hey, I hope this is Andrew and not some random stranger that got into my apartment while I slept, kidnapping the young musician better known for his 2013 number one hit Take me to church._

\- _How’s that for a news headline._

\- _LOL._

\- _It is me. I am not kidnapped_

\- _That’s what a kidnapped person would say_

\- _Not it isn’t._

\- _A kidnapped person would take this chance to send you their location and ask you to call the police._

\- _Right_

\- _Good thinking_

\- _Smort_

\- _😉_

\- _So… are you busy?_

\- _Not really_

\- _Would you like to have dinner?_

\- _We could watch a movie and order some take out_

\- _Or we could go out if you’d like to_

\- _Whatever you want_

\- _You didn’t tell me for how long you’d be in the city_

\- _You can say no_

\- _I won’t take it personal_

\- _Need a glass of water? A moment to take a breath_

\- _Go fuck yourself_

\- _I’d love to_

\- _Mmmm…_

\- _Interesting_

\- _What?_

\- _😊_

\- _I deserve that one. Sorry._

\- _I meant I’d love to have dinner together_

\- _You don’t really want to go out though, do you?_

\- _You know me well._

\- _Maybe you could come over and we can order room service?_

\- _The telly in this place is HUGE_

\- _Also, you do not have one yourself_

\- _Does that mean you didn’t like my movie night set up? :c_

\- _I even placed the laptop on the coffe table_

\- _Just for you_

\- _:’(_

\- _I was honoured._

\- _Should I send you the address?_

\- _I’m already putting on my jacket._

\- _Already?_

\- _Wonder woman style_

\- _I’m cool like that_

\- _Not cooler that Gal Gadot tho_

\- _I love gal gadot_

\- _She owns my ass_

\- _*heart_

\- _Both?_

\- _Yours and mine, my friend_

Andrew got up after sending her the address and frantically tried to make the hotel room look tidier, picking up every item that looked out of place and shoving it inside his suitcases that laid on the floor besides the bed.

He called the hotel reception and asked them to let Pyra up to his room, being promised total discretion without him asking for it. A tip was in place for this Amanda woman.

He looked inside the minibar. _Would she like a drink?_ He pondered. It was Saturday, but he didn’t know if she worked on Sundays. He didn’t know much about her life now, even after all those hours of conversation last night.

Maybe just some water. _She still liked water, right?_ He felt nervous and stupid, but it all felt easy and like walking on thin ice at the same time. He was afraid of making a mistake and losing it all again, even though his rational side told him it would take much more than offering the wrong drink to set them apart one more time. 

Finally happy with the tidiness of the room, he allowed himself to sit down on the small sofa, only to spring right up when knocking came from the front door barely five seconds later. 

Andrew pulled the door open with a breathless greeting. Pyra was there, wearing the brightest yellow scarf he had ever seen around her neck. He invited her in, “Everything alright?” he asked as they went further into the room. She looked around with a smile on her face, “this place is bigger than my apartment”, she said amazed.

Andrew scrunched his face up; his hand went, like a reflex, to the back of his neck, rubbing sheepishly. He was suddenly hyperaware of the hotel suit. He had nothing to do with hotel reservations along the road, he hardly had any conditions, apart from thick walls to avoid disturbing other guests with his -jetlag induced- three in the morning writing sessions. The ceiling was tall, it gave a great acoustic enhancement, and two massive windows showed the city landscape and the breathtaking dawns that showered rose and gold over it every day.

“Hey”, Pyra said with a soft voice, “It’s cool”, she assured him, knowing exactly how he used to have a proclivity towards discomfort over unnecessarily fancy things. “Give me a tour?”, she tried as to distract him.

“Yeah, right”, no need to feel guilty, he thought. _You have not been feeling like this in ages and now, she comes back and you revert years of self-provided counselling over your place in the world and that endless battle with your -recently acquired, unexpectedly enjoyed, apparently well earned- fame? Great._

She seemed to like it. No mean comments came. He isn’t sure if he was expecting them, he felt like she was so different now. But he realized he had pinned those times to the front of his mind, a phase for her, where the roughness of her situation turned into sharp bitterness and caustic words regarding everything that wasn’t extreme frugality.

When they were back in the sitting room he asked her if she wanted to order the food, it was almost six in the afternoon, the windows of the buildings that could be seen by the window pixelated the orange sunset, the star taking the temperature down with it on the horizon.

“What is good?”, she asked when he handed her the room service menu. Sitting on opposite sides of the sofa, bigger than the one they had slept on, their bodies turned half towards the other’s.

“Erm… I don’t really know. I’ve only had breakfast”, he admitted as he turned on the telly and flipped through the selection, “Anything in particular you’d like to watch?”.

He didn’t get and answer. He looked back at her she was engrossed in the booklet, her thumb and pointer finger playing with her lower lip in between page changes.

“Pyr”, her nickname, he was another man back then. It still felt right. “Pyr”, he called again, it tasted bittersweet in his mouth.

Her head snapped up, frozen for a moment, eyes big, her hand still close to her face. Flames of regret started licking the back of his throat, appeased by the pearly grin that split her face, recognition, pleasant consent.

“Sorry”, the grin turns into an eye reaching smile, “I didn’t hear what you were saying. Come again?”.

“What movie?”, he asked, in his own face a mirroring smile. A twitch of an eye thinking. “Spies?”, he prompts her.

An enthusiastic nod. “Bond?”, she asks. A beat. Two laughs. “James Bond”, he answers. It is tacky. They regret nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are welcome.  
> I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I am enjoying writing it.


	4. Chapter 4

Time passed by with quiet conversation and refreshing laughter. The night had already fallen around them without coming to their attention. Food almost entirely gone, stolen pillows and blankets surrounded them as they sat in their slumber party arrangement. The television played Casino Royale about three quarters in. Their small talk between bites had turned into silence as their attention went completely devoted to the film. An irritated grunt brought Pyra from poison threats and malfunctioning gadgets back to reality.

"What?", She asked. Andrew was frowning and his mouth was reduced to a thin tight line. His whole face scrunched up in distaste at her question. "I don't like this part", he said. She looked back at the screen, Bond and Vesper were enjoying themselves…thoroughly.

His gaze vexed, personally faulted by the same movie she had been enjoying so much.

"Why?", She couldn't shake the feeling she was missing something.

"I just… I wish they had had a happier ending, it's all". He scratched his auburn stubbled cheeks, still focused in the film.

It took Pyra a few minutes, the story went on and revelations were made. Her heart had gone from giddy (at the couple), to confused (from his comment), finally ending with disappointment and heartache once the movie had ended.

"Well, shit". She said once the credits rolled. She let out a heavy sigh and let herself be engulfed by the cushions that surrounded her. "I wish I remembered that", she said.

"What do you mean?", he took the almost empty beer bottle from the coffee table, he took a swing.

"I didn't remember. I knew they weren't together after this movie but couldn't remember why", he nodded understanding, not looking away from the screen. He drank the rest of his beer in one go.

"I didn't come here to get hurt", she said getting reincorporated and pressed the tip of her fingers against her closed eyelids. "We could have just paused it when they were happy", her voice rough with disappointment.

"Ignorance is bliss", he said as he leaned down to take the remote, the credits had started rolling. He clicked his tongue and let out a sigh, resignation written on his face.

"Preach", she said before eating the last brownie in one bite. It made him smile.

The silence fell heavy on the room. Pyra licked a chocolate smear from her wrist and looked at Andrew. He was focused on the movie thumbnails parading on the screen, his face void of expression. His long fingers curled around the tiny remote, no one in history had made clicking a button look so graceful. She wanted to snap a picture. No, she wanted to draw it.

It was familiar. The realization of the contrast of his self. His body, with long limbs and pink lips that stuttered words and ideas. Clumsy walking, uncomfortable sitting, but his hands always graceful, in movement and in peace. Calloused and light, like the feet of a dancer.

"What are you in the mood for?". His voice brought her back to reality, she looked away from his hands, up to his face. 

"A happy ending", she said without thinking. After the words had left her lips her chest constricted with the realisation of how much deeper that statement went. The muscles on her jaw tightened in an effort to school her expression. A breezy comment, it must remain in his eyes.

“Cheers to that”, he was smiling when he toasted his empty bottle to her. She was glad.

Her traitor brain tended to bring up ideas that could be considered as witty humour and then make her overthink them as soon as she said them out loud. Pyra got her poker face from that. If people didn’t think she was serious the backlash she would get from her anxious replay of the scene in the middle of the night when she couldn’t sleep.

Andrew choose the next Bond movie and offered her opening a bag of chips, she agreed happily and thought that they had been eating nonstop for the las two hours.

She was happily munching down on a handful of chips, she looked truly happy. Andrew was brought back to the day they had met.

He was on vacation with his brother. Jon wanted to visit a friend that lived in San Diego, they wanted to start a project together and Andrew just wanted to have some rest. This last year had been absolute mental, concert after concert, interviews, awards, truly fantastic but he just needed some time to recharge. It was winter and Jon said they could travel to Los Cabos and try to see the whales. It was winter and his brother knew him well.

They parted their ways early in the morning. He took his jean jacket and made his way out of the small hotel they were staying and into the city. They were close to the bay, he walked all the way there, his hair the longest it had been in a while, curling a couple of inches down his shoulders, blowing wild in the wind, his eyes protected by his favourite shades, a gift from dad. 

He bought an ice cream cone and exchanged the American money for a warning about the seagulls and a bright smile. He sat beside a mother and her two children, twins it seemed, no more than 6 years old and exuding energy like two charged batteries in matching dungarees. The birds screeching above them, he knew where the warning was coming from.

The small family left just as he cleaned his lips with a paper napkin. He stood to throw it away in a trashcan, when he got back the bench had a new occupant on his side. He took the place of the mother and looked over to the water.

His new companion was a young woman with blue streaks in her black hair that looked like sapphire flames going up her ponytail. She had sunglasses on, the frame too big for her face, in her hands she held a paperback.

He liked to look at the water, it didn’t move much, he enjoyed the calm swaying of the nearby boats. His focus went only to the birds and waves and the people seemed so far away.

A frustrated sigh followed by a book slamming closed. He looked at her, when she turned to him she looked apologetic. “Sorry, I can’t concentrate”.

“The noise?”, he asked and got a nod and a smile for his troubles.

“Silly of me, to be honest”. She gestured to their surroundings with the hand that held the book, waving it around. “in which world would this be a good place to read?” she said with a laugh, “I might as well have just gone to the fair”.

“Is there… is there one close?”, he had turned the rest of his body to her.

“Oh, no. I mean, I don’t know. I was just talking”.

“Oh, I see”, his chuckle lightened the air, “Tourist?”.

“Is it too obvious?”, she asked, a grin permanent in her face.

“Not at all”, he offered his hand, “Me too. My name’s Andrew”.

She changed the book to the other hand, “Pyra”. The handshake was quick and tight.

“Like the-“, he started.

“Flame. Yes”, her smile was infectious.

“Great name.”, she laughed loud and bright. “It depends but mostly yes”.

“What are you reading?”, he asked, gesturing to the blue book with his chin.

“The song of Achilles”, she said showing him the cover. A golden helmet glinting in the sun.

“Is it any good?”.

“Amazing. This is a second reading for me. It’s even better than the first time”.

“I might give it a try, then”, he said and pulled his phone out. “Mind if I take a photo of the cover, in case I forget”.

Pyra handed him the book, it didn’t look used, the details on the cover were breath-taking.

“It’s a beautiful book”, he gave it back. “Inside and out”, she said squeezing it tight with her hands. 

They sat together for a while, no more talking, no more reading, just looking at the water.

The sun painted the bay in a beautiful gold and orange sweetness. The people were going home, the screams turned into quiet steps.

They both had their eyes closed behind their glasses, the could finally slow down and breath. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I obsessed with TSOA? Yes I am. 
> 
> Thank you for reading.   
> Feel free to point out any mistakes.   
> I hope you like it.


	5. Chapter 5

A soft buzzing sound woke Andrew in the middle of the night. His sleepy brain took it’s time analysing his surroundings, the television was still on, playing something he didn’t recognize with people speaking French, Pyra was on the couch, she had only taking one pillow with her, the rest of the bed clothes still on the floor by his feet.

He found his phone under him, poking at his ribs, it was three and a half in the morning. With a sigh he let himself fall back deeper into the pillows and warmth, he wondered if his friends had come back from their night out.

They had fallen asleep, he saw an unopened beer on the coffee table, a cup with melted ice-cream beside it. He got up to put the bottle back into the minibar. He closed the door as quietly as he could, it still woke Pyra.

“What is that?”, she asked into the dark, looking at the screen now showing a quite graphic sex scene.

“Would you believe me if I told you it’s not porn?”, he said grinning.

“Ha! I’m not that dumb”, she sat up straight on the couch and rubbed her sleepy eyes.

She yawned loudly, and stretched her arms over her head, something popped and she sighed satisfied, his smile soaked in tiredness. "We should go to sleep". He scratched the back of his head, "There room only has one bed", an insecure whisper.

Her head whipped in his direction, with a straight face she said, "Oh, my god, there was only one bed". Confused, he said that was exactly what he just said, Pyra seemed t find it extremely funny and told him to forget it.

“I’ll just sleep here, don’t worry”, she said before getting up and picking up the pillow that had fallen in her sleep. “I’d rather you take the bed”, he tried, she shook her head, “I’d rather _you_ take the bed” she said and drew a circle in the air with her nose until her neck cracked with a noise that made Andrew grimace.

“Go to sleep, fae prince”, she told him as she laid on the couch and covered herself with the blankets.

“You hear about that one?”, he chuckled. With her eyes already closed she smiled one last time, “Of course. I don’t know why you refuse to acknowledge the truth”.

He changed for bed with heavy eyelids, he was still smiling when he felt the soft fabric of the pillowcase against his cheek.

A soft knocking sound woke him up, he opened his eyes and didn’t move, he was facing the open bedroom door. Pyra stood there one hand on the handle, the other still resting on the wood from her knocking.

“Hey, I have to go now. I forgot I had to see someone at twelve”, her hair was tied back in a ponytail, she had already put her jacket on. He sat up and looked around for his phone to look at the time. “here”, she called, barely waiting to make eye contact to toss it him. It slipped from his fingertips and into the bed. It was a quarter past ten.

“Stay for breakfast, we-“, he threw off the blankets and got up. She interrupted him, “I can’t. I’m sorry.” He didn’t move closer, she smiled tight, apologetic eyes, “When do you leave?”.

“Tomorrow at ten”, the words were toneless, he was still dazed with sleep.

“Well, fuck.”

“do you think we’ll see each other again before then?”, he was hopeful, his chest filled with a sudden weight when he realized they had to part.

Her face was suddenly serious, “I’ll make sure of it”, she said with determination. They nodded, a silent accord, “I’ll see you tomorrow”, and with that she left.

Through the day Andrew couldn’t help his mind from drifting towards her. They had had a great time, a stolen weekend in a foreign city. They had changed so much, he could see it, but the still got along so well, even after everything that had gone wrong between them. That night, even if he tried not to, he felt hopeful, he wanted them to keep in touch, to get to know each other again, to get to know each other better. He wanted them to have a chance.

Pounding on the front door got him out of the shower, he put on a bathrobe and made his way to the entrance leaving wet footprints after him. He looked though the peephole and saw Pyra with her head down and the big bag she had had with her the night of the show. He fumbled with the locks and pulled the door open.

“Hey!”, he greeted and urged her in with a wide arch of his arm. She looked surprised, then relieved, “hey, yourself! I though you had already left”. She walked in with a bright smile, her eyes sparkling over the bags that rested under them.

He closed behind her, “I was taking a shower. Were you knocking for too long?”, he pushed his hair back and found his hands soaked by the wet curls. “I’ll be right back. Please get yourself comfortable, there’s coffee in the kitchen”, she nodded and let her bag down. He took a towel from the bathroom and dried his hair as much as he could. His clothes were laid on the bed, he left the towel in favour of changing and took it with him as he went out again. He found Pyra sitting on a kitchen chair with a cup pf coffee and buttered toast.

“Have you had breakfast?”, he asked still rubbing the towel on his hair. She shook her head, her cheeks slightly puffed, working fast, the cup close to her lips, crumbs around them. “I’ll order some pancakes, okay?”, he got a smile hidden behind the cup but reaching her eyes and energetic nodding.

His curls were still ripping on his shoulders when they started their full breakfast. He noted that the shoulders of her shirt looked a bit darker than the rest, her hair had been wet as well not long ago.

“Did you shower before coming?”, he asked before drinking from his green tea. “I just got off my shift. I was worried that going home might take too long and you would be gone when I got here”. She took a bite from her pancakes, “I think I might have gotten here a bit too early, though”.

“It’s fine. I’m glad we could share breakfast”, he was truly happy for it.

It wasn’t long before he got a phone call. Everyone was going down and meeting in the lobby to take their leave to the airport. She had heard him, and was now standing close to the door, her bag on the floor beside her.

“I should be leaving now. Let you get ready to go.”, her smile was a resigned one, a sad one. “I’m glad we found each other that night”, she said when Andrew couldn’t find any words to say, his head too full, his chest hollow.

“I am too”, was all he could muster.

It was her who took the first step, he was the one who pulled her body against his and closed his arms tightly around her shoulders.

“Don’t be a stranger, Andrew. Not again”, she said against his chest, her arms tightened around his waist.

He let his cheek rest on top of her head, he nodded against her head, savouring the moment. She was so warm and solid. It was the first time they had touched since god knows when, he realized he didn’t remember the true last time, those years ago. It felt right.

Even halfway through the Atlantic, if he tried hard enough, he could still feel the pressure where their bodies had touched.

That night, in the shower, Pyra wept again. It was cleansing, like the las remains of all the hurt and resentment went down the rain. Her therapist would love to hear about this, she was sure.

The next morning, she found a text telling her he had arrived safely at home, just as she had requested him to do.

It felt like they had met each other for the first time.

She had a good feeling about it.

She had a good feeling about them.


	6. Chapter 6

_-I went to a bookstore today and look what I found._

_-Attached image. Resting on top of other books, placed there just for the picture. A copy of "A treasury of irish fairy and folk tales", the cover a beautiful emerald green with gold and silver intrincate details._

_-The book of your people._

_-First of all. Good morning._

_-Second of all. How dare you awaken me._

_-Not my fault you live on the other side of the world._

_-Have you read it, tho?_

The answer took about five minutes to come. 

_-Attached image. Andrew holding an identical copy. It covers his face, only his eyes can be seen over the edge of the book._

_-Yasssssssssss._

_-Is it good?_

_\- I have no idea. It's brand new. A friend sent it to me._

_\- I bet you are better telling the stories, you surely were there for most of them anyway._

_\- v funny_

_\- Thank you, your ethereal highness._

_-_ _😐😑_

_-Blocked_

_-Nooooo. I'm sorry._

_-I'll behave_

_-Hobbits have always been so annoying, i guess its hard to change your ways._

_-Excuse me, sir._

_-I'll have you know, I am a dwarf._

_-My feet are not hairy._

_-Really? I thought you shaved._

_-Fuck off. I do not shave for Andrew Hozier._

_-I feel like this is some obscure reference I'm not getting._

_-_ _😓_ _oh, andrew. You wound me._

_-Google saves the day, Dr. Watson._

_\- :D!!_

  
  


Pyra, with her resting bitch face, looked at her phone with what looked for outsiders like firm concentration. It was not.

"Hey, Calcifer", Eros called her. She was having her midshift coffee break, with half a sandwich still left. He closed the door behind him the outside havoc muted once again. 

"Hey! Did you have lunch yet?" She asked and offered his uneaten half when he shook his head no. 

"No, thanks.", He sat down beside her and took a container out of his backpack, it had pasta and salad in it. 

With her fingers scrolling through Instagram she let her head rest on his shoulder. "Are you ready to move?" She asked. 

"Yeah. I think", he started eating with a fork as a puppy video came up in her screen. "You?" 

She hummed, "Saturday morning I'll see you at the apartment. Aren't you excited? I am".

"For sharing an apartment? No. For paying half the rent with double the space and a bathtub? Fuck yes."

"You're going to share your bath salts with me, right?", she asked looking up at his face.

"You'll share the food your mom's food?", he arched an eyebrow, he was ready to negotiate. 

"We’ll see about that", she said and rested her head on his shoulder once again.

Eventually, they had to go out and into the emergency room, it had been a quiet day, not hat anyone said anything about it and specially not the “Q” word. Pyra was glad as she still had to pack her clothes and bath supplies before moving day. She had enjoyed living alone for the past few years, but since Eros was looking for a place and her contract was coming to an end with her landlady they saw the opportunity to a better place they could live in together.

They had known each other for a while, first meeting in the hospital where she attended for her Ortho rotations as it was his main one, and they just hit it off. Eros said it was because they were both Hispanic kids with Greek inspired names because their parents, apparently, hated their children. And here they were, working in the same hospital, still liking each other and ready to move in together and hopefully not end up hating each other after that.

Andrew had been gone for a little longer than a month. As Pyra had predicted, her therapist loved to hear about their encounter and what she had gotten from it. First, the desired closure. Then, in a stuck of luck, an opportunity to talk it through, apologise for her behaviour and, soothingly, an equally heartfelt apology from Andrew. She had not realized how often it bothered her until it was all good between them and they were now free from the weight of it.

Unexpectedly, but not surprisingly, she and Andrew had been enjoying the opportunity of building a friendship over the shambles of their past relationship. She wondered if have they not rushed into a romantic relationship, would they have endured the situations that eventually led to their separation a different way and would have never lost contact the years they had. But, never one to dwell in the possibilities that never were, she was glad they were both mature enough to give themselves a chance.

It had been a week or so since the _irish fairy tales_ incident, and they had not talked again. The first couple of days after Andrew arrived home had been spent in a seemingly endless conversation via text and, occasionally, phone calls. He had thought they had had enough time to catch up back in New York, but oh was he wrong. What he had been liking more about their interactions was that it was like meeting someone completely new, with him being so different himself, and at the same time, deep in the core of everything, the parts of each other that had brought them together in the first time were still there. When he told his brother about the feeling, he just stared at him and said “Character development”, before his attention went back to his drink. He could be so infuriatingly puzzling sometimes, and others, like this one, just plain uncomplicated.

A time went by, the texts became sparse and the calls even more so, given the time zone differences. But that didn’t mean they were less welcome, and he didn’t feel like it really meant anything but the excitement of reencounter cooling off and shaping into a firmer connection.

_\- Attached Image. A tub full of water up close, only the faucet and underwater drain visible for him to make out what he was looking at._

_\- May I present you… MY BATHTUB_

He woke up to the text, confused, but also used to the random things that sparked enough joy in Pyra for her to want to share it with someone. He took his tame getting up the bed, the text had been received three hours ago anyway. After relieving his bladder, he took a picture of his bathtub and sent it back.

_\- Don’t ask me why but I thought that if you had one it would be a vintage looking one with lion paws holding it up and not this super modern rectangular one._

_\- Where does the water even come from_

_\- Oh! I found the tap_.

As far as interactions went, this were his favourite ones. No direction just words. They did chat a little and that night, he sent her a picture of his toes poking out of the lilac bath bombed water.

_\- Lavender is my favourite._

_\- * Cries in lack of bath supplies. *_


	7. Chapter 7

The sun was a thin yellow line between the darkness of the ocean and the sky. Venus was there, the early riser, the ruler of hell.

The first time he had tried the dawn swimming he had felt the cold seeping into his bones. A thousand needles on his skin, fire burning in his lungs. Now, he found himself enjoying it, even looking forward to it. It was revitalizing, humbling, and apparently, also good for his health. He still came out shivering every time, and his hair had been more of a mess since he started but it was worth it.

He burned his tongue with the first sip of his coffee as he paid for it. He placed it on the cupholder and waited for it to cool a little as he made his way home. The empty coffee cup was left forgotten when he got out the car, crumbs of the croissant he ate all over the seat.

Andrew made a beeline from the door to the shower and as he washed the salty water out of his hair he wondered if there were special hair products for ocean swimmers. _There surely were. Better get some before it gets more damaged._

When he found his phone on the bed after dressing up for the day. He had a message waiting for him.

- _i just ate coddle_

It made him chuckle. He remembered Pyra being a picky eater, he wondered how that culinary adventure had gone.

- _and?_

_-did you enjoy it?_

_-I did, actually._

_-Most unexpected plot twist of the year._

He started typing a reply but stopped midsentence. Ever since he went back home, they had not once touched the subject of their reunion, or their previous separation. In fact, they had not acknowledged the past at all. He wondered how good it was for them, for what they had to come to start over completely ignoring what they had been through. On the other hand, he didn't want to risk going into unwanted conversations now that their bond felt so frail.

Boldly, he reformed his answer hoping for the best.

  * _Even more so than us meeting in NYC?_



He waited. The three dots that meant an answer was being written appeared and disappeared a couple of times before a text came in.

_-Fuck no._

_-Biggest plot twist of the fucking century_

_-tbh never thought i would be living here._

_\- forget about liking it_

_-but here we are_

Andrew felt his shoulders relaxing, he let out a big breath through the mouth and let himself fall on the bed, his legs falling off of the side of the bed from the knees down.

-Here we are innit.

-Maybe you can come over and eat my dad's. He's quite proud of it.

_-:O_

_-that sounds great!_

_-maybe some day._

_-i have never been to Ireland_

_We need to fix that. You must come asap. I'll be your tour guide_

_-:D! really?_

_-maybe it'll be my next holiday destination_

_-I'm sure you'll love it._

_-I can even make a real plan with a schedule and everything_

_-you really don't have to. Just take me to the forest and find me some mushrooms and I'll be delighted_

_-Fun mushrooms or regular mushrooms._

_-whichever. i won’t be eating any. i don't trust them. i've seen enough intoxications to even think about it_

_-Coward. I know my fungi_

_-darling, as much as we like to think we do, we don't know shit about fungi._

_-Forget the planning, I'll just study them to prove you wrong._

_-i can see it_

_-Famous musician and friend die because they thought they knew what they were doing. They didn't. They were idiots._

_-tha’ts not how I want to be remembered_

_-Why does it always have to be famous musician for me when you write those headers?_

_-bc you are one?!?_

_-i don't know what you want me to say_

_-fine_

_\- Stupid millenials die because they were stupid… again._

_\- LOL Now that's how I want to be remembered._

_\- i cannot say it surprises me_

_\- it does. Everything I do does. I'm a box full of surprises._

_-An enigma ✨_

_\- you are an idiot, that's what you are_

After that day, Andrew felt more at easy with recalling their past, both in his head and talking to her. Pyra got uncomfortable sometimes, but never asked him to change the subject, as she often did when she didn't want to talk about something.

"There are conversations that need to be had even if we don't like it", she had said once he asked her if she preferred them to forget about certain details; like the time he had visited her on her birthday as a surprise and she had been angry because he hadn't told her and then she was stuck in the hospital for the following thirty hours, falling asleep for another ten once she had gotten home. They got a total of eight hours with both being awake before he had to flight somewhere else. 

"I had control over so few things back then that everything that I could potentially had planned and didn't just infuriated me", she admitted honestly. He apologized, the were having a video call. She shook her head repeatedly, "Don't. It was a nice detail with the best of intentions. I was just a bitch", she took a bite of the cookie she had been eating. "A controlling bitch", she added with a tired sigh. She frowned and looked down, her mind somwhere else. Another cookie came into view, she ate it in two bites to take her head out of it. "You really should try this. I'll send you a box. Give me your address".

No more than a fortnight after their conversation a package came in the mail. He checked the hour and decided to record himself opening and trying the famous cookies Pyra had been so adamant on him trying.

The moan that came out of his throat was louder than he had expected. "Oh, God. You were right. I won’t ever question you again. Never.", He ate another. "Jesus. They're just sinful", he looked at the package, everything was written in spanish and it had a small stamp of an eagle with _Hecho en México_ written above it."I'll be needing a moment", he said before stopping the video and sending it to her.

He had been doubtful when Pyra told him those cookies were better than sex, specially coming from her, but now, with half of the first package already gone, he wasn't so sure.

_-success!_

Was the only answer she had given to the video and he was glad because, when he rewatched it, he couldn't help but blush at the sounds coming from him. Maybe they weren't better than sex, but they got very close to it. 

He wondered if it was possible for her to send him some more. He was going to wait for him to stop cringing and getting hot on the neck thinking about the video to ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Andrew swimming in the mornings and posting about it on instagram had me shook. I had to write about it.


	8. Chapter 8

Modern problems require modern solutions. That's why her first purchase for her new apartment were some incredibly amazing thick and luxurious curtains that, when closed, barely let any light in. A blessing for sleeping after a nightshift.

It was half past one in the afternoon when she finally woke up. Pyra had been on nightshifts for two weeks and a half now and hoped she would get back to mornings soon. Not that she hated working at night but man, people at the ER sure get crazy at night. Specially because they had a lot of drunk admissions and inebriated people were so difficult and she had so little patience. She was proud to say she hid that well, but it was so tiring.

Last night, for example, just as she was doing the routine examination, young Michael I'm surely not old enough to legally drink gave her a free sample of the alcohol he had been drinking for the last few hours and the food he had had for lunch.

When he looked up his eyes were full of tears and he just said, "Sorry" with a meek voice.

She looked down at her soiled shoes, her pants and shirt, then sighed. "Are you feeling better, now?", Asked and he nodded apologetically.

"I'll need you to give us a phone number to call your parents, my friend", she told him and passed him a pen and her board. She got it back and said, "If you want to throw up again the trash can will be right here. Be nice to nurses, understood?", He gave her a nod.

Dr. Levi, who was checking a patient's broken arm on the next bed, grimaced when he saw her. "Better get cleaned, doc. Vomit yellow doesn't quite compliment your scrubs", he said and made her laugh.

Rule number one of working as an emergency physician: always have a change of clothes.

She had known Levi for a while, his first name was something like Job or Jonah and he hated it, that's the first time he had told her when they met, right after telling her he was the emergency Ortho at night. He was cool and fun and handsome; they had gone into a couple of dates, but he had been quite honest in his intentions and they were something she didn't want.

"You sure you don't want to come to mine?", He had tried once again that night.

"Are you asking even after Michael's alcoholic gift?" She said with a laugh.

They were picking up their things from the break room, the shift was over, and they were ready to go home.

"I have a shower", he shrugged as his head was inside the fridge looking for the remains of the cake he had been eating last night, when he looked back at her he was smirking.

"I'm sure", she said and slung her back over her shoulder.

"It's just some fun between friends, Pyra. We have great chemistry, I'm sure the sex would be exceptional".

"I'm just not into it", she said with her hand on the door handle.

"You've said before. I still think I could make you change your mind", he winked at her and got too close for her liking.

"Please don't make me stop talking to you", she said with a smile that was too sweet to be real.

He put his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "Right. Sorry. I'll see you on Friday".

Casual sex was very common in the outside world. Nosocomial casual sex gave all other work fields a run for their money. And it was fine, really. You live locked up and under stressing situations, sex between co-workers at a modern hospital was like in ancient greek armies, it made bonds stronger, working easier and people happy.

Not everyone participated, of course, but as a young single doctor you were almost expected to.

The thing was that Pyra had never been a fan of it, not just casual sex but sex in general. She had had her own experiences, most of them good, amazing even, but for her it was just like certain foods. It's offered to you, by a loved one, they love it, so you try it with them and enjoy it, but it's not something you seek actively and not something you'd do for everyone. It was a chill life, to be honest, no sexual atraction but all in for a good romance. 

Eros had listened to her when she told him about it, always the supporting friend, and had asked a few sensible questions, he was all curiosity as his sex drive was incredibly high.

"What about masturbation?" He suggested and she had burst out laughing.

"A big fan of it, really", she told him and two weeks later, at her birthday, she received a luxury vibrator with a calligraphed card that read "HAVE FUN".

Back in the day, when she and Andrew were together, they had understood each other incredibly well. For a while, she thought they were meant to be forever, she can't quite remember if this was during their honeymoon phase or after. What she remembers is the night she explained how she had her reservations about sex, told him that she knew he loved it and the understanding on his side. He loved sex and had the libido of a healthy young man and what was better was what he had said, "Good to know I don't have to feel bad for you never initiating it". He had blurted it and it made her laugh, she kissed his cheek and told him she would prefer if he would just ask for it when he felt like it. That worked wonders in their relationship.

Before everything crumbled down, that is.

A call disrupted her train of thought, as she was washing the dishes. She dried her hands in the towel that hung from the oven handle.

Andrew's name was on her phone screen.

"Hey, girl! ", was the first thing he said when she saw his face.

"Hey, boy", she started to make her way to the couch.

"How you doing? Wait, are those pyjamas?", He struggled to prop his phone on the table, the video moved around for a moment.

"They are! I just woke up. I'm on night shift now and for a few weeks, remember?", She got up to close the window, it was too noisy outside for a videocall.

"You didn't tell me", he had finally succeeded. He sat back on the chair.

"Didn't I?", She asked, her face puzzled, "I could swear I did", she sighed dramatically. "My memory isn't what it used to. It's my age".

He laughed, "You better get a wristband with your information. We don't want you wondering lost in New York. That's dangerous".

"I know! I almost got hit by a taxi last week!".

"Oh shit. Really?".

"Yup. At least it was right outside the hospital. I could have gotten immediate attention".

He laughed with his whole chest, his hand coming up to his heart, "Always the optimist".

"It's my only way of survival", she told him.

After catching up for a while, he showed her a vinyl he had just gotten, and the main purpose of the call in the first place.

"May I present you, Miss Mariya Takeuchi's Variety 30th anniversary vinyl", he was holding the square cover infront of him.

"Nice to meet you ma'am", she said followed by an impressed whistle. "How does it sound?"

"I don't know, I'm playing it tonight. It just came in the mail", he pulled the disc out of the cover. "Isn't it beautiful?".

It was. They spent thirty minutes going over the cover, the material, the colour of the vinyl and the sticker in the centre of it.

"I might even consider fuck around and change genres. Try some city pop". He had said.

"Oh god", she exclaimed, "Please do! It's what the world needs right now".

He smiled dopily at the disc in his hands and nodded.

He actually might.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you don't mind me sprinkling some ace representention over here.


	9. Chapter 9

_Hey! I'm done with the song, wanna hear it?_

_Sure! Call me later_

_Sorry i cant talk. I'm at work rn_

Andrew wanted to show Pyra the latest song he had written, as a couple of days back she had answered a late night call from him, which consisted in him rambling and having a lyric crisis. She got him to focus and gave him her objective pointers. It had come out wonderfully, if he could say so.

It had to be around nine at night in New York, he double checked, so she would most likely be at home by now.

He got his trusty pile of books and placed them on the coffee table to support his phone before making the call.

After a couple of rings it connected. He said an enthusiastic "Hey!", even before it stopped being blurry. However, the face that greeted him on the other side was not Pyra's. It wasn't even a woman.

"Oh, shit. It's video", the stranger said with his eyes wide open. The camera was at an odd angle and the background full of noise, behind the man he catched a glimps of people rushing by and fluorescent lights.

Andrew was confused, he was about to ask who he was before the man started moving, "Gimme a second, gimme a second", he said as he directed his eyes at him for a brief moment.

" _Es tu amigo_ ", the man said. Andrew could only see his neck and chin.

" _¿Cuál amigo?_ " It was Pyra's voice. It lacked the energy he was used to.

" _Andrew_ ", he stated. Oh… he knew him.

" _Carajo_ ", she said. Now, Andrew was no Spanish expert, but he knew that one.

For a moment he was left looking at the ceiling though the phone camera.

"Hey", she said softly. The phone was still looking up. "Mind if I call you later, Andy?", she asked, her voice sounded rough.

"Is everything alright?", Was the only thing he could muster. His mouth felt like it was numbing. 

"Yes. No. I mean", a sigh, " Andy, I promise I'll call you tonight. Alright?"

"Yeah, okay". The call was finished before she said anything else.

He just sat there, his head a mess. Worry itching under his skin all the way up to his neck. He felt a shiver.

He took his phone, his hands uncertain, and stared at the screen, a picture of the see he had taken as his background.

She had called him Andy.

She had called him Andy twice.

Something was wrong.

It was not that calling him that was wrong in any way. Everyone did, his family, his friends, people he knew around town. But she never did, she never liked it. Now he felt like she just wanted to get rid of him as fast as possible. Something had happened.

He sat there, his mind going in a million directions and none at the same time, like white noise between his ears. 

Elwood, his beloved dog, bless him, came to sit right beside the couch. “Hey, buddy”, he patted his head, Elwood came closer and rested his chin on Andrew’s knee, offering moral support. He got tired and laid by his feet, occasionally looking up to check on his owner.

When the screen of his phone finally light up with her name he was still in the same spot on the couch. Unconsciously, he had started biting his thumbnail. He answered immediately. It was just voice, no video. He felt like his heart might beat its way out of his chest.

"Hey", she told him, no energy behind it. "I'm sorry I couldn't answer your call before".

"Pyra, what's wrong?" He asked urgently. A bitter laugh came through the speaker. "The world. Life. We live in a society, Andrew". Ah, there it was, the comfort of his full name, it was followed by a sigh.

"What happened?", He was still sitting on the edge on his seat. Elwood stood in attention.

"I got assaulted”, she said, his breath cam in short. “Not in a sexual way, just physical” she groaned, “I’m making it sound worse. Fuck. Um…Some guy tried to steal my bag on my way back home. Emphasis in tried, and as I didn't let go of it he elbowed my on the fucking face".

"Oh, god.", he closed his eyes tightly. “Are you alright?”. What else could he say?

"I got checked. No fracture on the malar and the orbit is intact. It's just the periorbital hematoma, but man does if fucking hurt like a bitch." A pause. He took a deep breath, it came out as a chuckle. "I don't know what you just said", he admitted.

"Ah, shit sorry. I just have a black eye- Ah! _Hijo de la chingada. ¡avísame!_ ", she exclaimed loudly on the microphone, he had to take his phone away from his ear. There was some laughter in the background.

"Sorry, Eros just put an ice pack on my face. You remember Eros? He answered the phone when you called", he heard a sigh, he hoped it was of relief.

"Yes. I'm glad to hear you are not alone", he finally let himself relax. He closed his eyes and let his arm rest on his forehead, “is he staying for the night?”.

“uh, yeah. He lives here. Didn’t I tell you?”, she asked. a metallic screech let him know she was standing from the chair she had been sitting on. 

“No, I dont’t think you did”, it was dry. She didn’t notice.

“Yeah, we moved in together, that’s why I have a bathtub now, the apartment is bigger, and so much prettier. I’ll give you a tour another day”, there was some shuffling on her side, “Hey, I’m really tired. Is it alright if I call you tomorrow?”

“Yes! Sure, of course. Take care, Pyr”, he asked her.

“Yeah, I have Eros here so no worries. The only thing better than being a doctor is living with one.” she sounded slightly more animated than in the beginning of their conversation, “I’ll call you tomorrow. Good night”

“Good night. Sleep well”. The line was dead. He wasn’t sure she had heard him.

It had been a rollercoaster of feelings. Andrew felt suddenly drained.

“How do you feel about watching a movie, eh?”, he asked the dog, who swayed his tail happily.

The truth is he had been planning on working some more on the song, fixing some details. But, to be honest, he just had a week’s worth of stress in the past couple of hours.

He turned the telly on, the first Avengers movie was on. He put the guitar away and laid down on the couch, which Elwood took as an invitation to lay on top of him and be held and caressed.

He had watched the movie enough times to just zone out on it without caring. It was strange how the simple fact of Pyra calling him Andy had made alarms go off in his brain knowing something bad had happened. It really made him think about how even being as intimate as they had been, she had never called him any variation of his name. When it was not Andrew it had been darling or sweetheart, even though he remembered her saying sweetheart just felt strange in her mouth. He chucked, she was prone to say strange things that easily could be taken and turned against her in a double entendre, but she was fast thinking and dirty minded so she caught those before anyone else could. It was an innocent thought in the incorrect wording, as it was usual for her. There was another one… he couldn’t remember. It was spanish… he really couldn’t remember. He tried not to get fixated on it.

He thought about the names he called her. Pyra, Pyr and… baby, such a long time ago.

Now she was living with that guy Eros…

Did he call her “baby” too?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Es tu amigo" = It's your friend  
> "¿Cuál amigo?" = What friend?  
> "Carajo" = Fuck  
> "Hijo de la chingada. ¡avísame!"= Son of a bitch, heads up!


	10. Chapter 10

The air was cold on his cheeks, his face was the only part of him that was not covered by his trusty blanket. He sat on the beach, away from the water's reach, close enough to feel the dampness in the air. His favourite part of the day had become seeing the sun come up over the sea with his hair still wet and a steaming cup of tea in his hands. 

He hadn't heard about Pyra since that day. Well, she texted him the next morning, told him she was fine and taking medication, that he shouldn’t worry. She kept saying she was fine but insisted on them having just voice calls instead of video. She had always preferred video calls. It made his mind wander into dark places, not that it got too far, he just felt nervous thinking about her. He hated being so far away and unable to help. 

The sun was setting in orange rays over the city landscape when Pyra received a text. She was in her pyjamas, lying under the covers in her bed, as she had been for most of the time since last night. She had been given a couple of days off duty at the hospital and then the weekend had come. She had been resting for most of those days, the bruise didn't bother her as much as the headaches she had been getting when she tried to do anything even mildly exerting. 

_-Hey. How are you feeling?_

She let out a sigh. She was too tired to maintain a coherent conversation. 

_-I’m fine. Just in a bit of pain_. 

The reminder for her medication came up in the screen. Languidly, she sat up on the bed, taking her time to fully get up and walk to the kitchen. Eros was in the sitting area, lying on the carpet with a throw pillow from the couch under his head, typing furiously in his phone.

“Hey, how are you feeling?”, he asked as he let the device rest on his sternum, no sign of getting up.

She gave him a small smile, “Exactly like I look like…Like shit”, she told him. He smiled back, witty Pyra was a great _‘well being indicator’_.

“Are you hungry?”, he asked from his place on the floor.

“I’m fine. It’s drugs time”, she said with a wiggle of her fingers. Eros was about to say something but cut short by a ping from his phone.

Pyra went to the kitchen for a glass of water. Pulling their medicine drawer out and placing the corresponding pills in her hand, swallowing all of then in one go. She let out a satisfied sound and filled up her glass once again.

She leaned against the counter and took her time drinking from it. She unlocked her phone and saw Andrew writing… and writing… and writing.

Goddammit she didn’t have the patience for that right now. She touched the small video camera in the corner of the screen and waited for it to connect.

The first thing she saw was Andrew's stubbly chin and neck. He was moving around off camera.

"Hey, give me a second. You caught me off guard". He said, wood hitting metal in the background. He was cooking. 

"Oui, chef", she teased and took out one of the chairs they had for the dining table for two.

"All done", he said, putting down his wooden spoon, when he finally looked at the screen a gasp escaped his lips. 

She chuckled, "Don't you think the purple and green fit my complexion?", she asked sitting down and leaning back on the wood. 

His mouth opened to speak and closed again without saying anything. He tried another time, it worked partially. "Oh shit", he said. It made her laugh loudly this time, followed by a pained groan. 

"It hurts if I laugh. This is not a good life", she took another drink from her glass.

"Godness… your eye", Andrew couldn't tear his eyes away from the screen. Pyra’s eye was half white, half rutilant red with a black circle in the middle.

“It looks wacky doesn’t it?”, she was smiling lazily, “It’s alright. It doesn’t affect my vision”.

He huffed a laugh, she was there all beaten up, just smiling and taking everything so light heartedly. “Does it hurt?”, he asked before he could think about it.

“A little. I’m trying to not abuse painkillers. They make me sleepy. I’ve been sleeping like twelve hours a day since that motherfucker hit me.”

“You haven’t been to work, have you?”, he asked as he looked for something to prop his phone against and sat down in front of it.

“No, I’m just here complying with mandatory bedrest”.

“Sounds like your worst nightmare”, he teased. Pyra had always been a ball of energy, looking for things to occupy her hands and her time.

“It’s fine. Just like vacations but my face and head hurt”. They shared a laugh.

“You didn’t get the chance to show me your song that day. I’m sorry”

“What are you talking about?!”, he exclaimed, “It wasn’t your fault and I was just so worried about you. Knowing you were hurt and not being able to do anything. At least you weren’t alone”

She smiled warmly, “Yeah. Eros came to find me at the hospital and then came with me to see the police. He´s been taking care of me. Benefits of living with a doctor, you know. I take care of him when he gets sick so I’m making him baby me now. I’m glad I can say I’m never alone, not even here all that way from home”, she sat up slowly, “Thanks for checking up on me”.

Andrew nodded; his lips tight. He didn’t know what to say. He was a worrier, and he didn’t want to tell her she had been in his mind the whole week. Even once staring in an anxiety induced dream.

“Do you still want to play it for me?”, she asked as she propped her phone against the flower vase they had on the table. With her arms flat on the table, her fingers intertwined she rested her chin on top of them.

“Of course!” he exclaimed. “Wait here. I’ll get my guitar”.

Pyra was left looking at the refrigerator door. There were pictures on it but she couldn’t see them very well. She closed her eyes.

“Are you done?”, Eros asked from behind her. She opened her eyes and turned to look at him. “No, he went to get his guitar”.

Eros smirked, “Ah, I see. _Serenata y toda la cosa_ ”, he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Shut up”, she said with a laugh.

In the other side Andrew pulled out his own chair, his fingers circled around the neck of the instrument. “Ready. Oh… Erm… hi”.

Eros moved to be more in shot, “Hey, man. I’m Eros”, he waved.

“Andrew”, he said waving back.

“I’ll go to get the groceries. If you need anything else text me” he told Pyra and then looked back at Andrew, “Nice to meet you”. He patted Pyra’s head twice gently and left the room. She smiled up at him and then back at the screen.

“How is your song called?”, she asked. Andrew had been frozen for a moment, but recovered rapidly as he rested the guitar on his thigh and cleared his throat as he fiddled with it.

“Oh, it doesn’t have a name yet”, he looked at her, she was staring back at him with a warm smile and her eyes happy. he smiled, “This is just a general idea. I’ll play it to you again once I have the final version, alright?”.

She nodded excitedly. “Yeah! Just give it to me”, she made a grabbing gesture with her hands.

Andrew started to play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "serenata y toda la cosa"- Serenade and the whole thing


	11. Chapter 11

"I might as well choke someone with a Foley in the next hour. You've been warned". Pyra said as she plopped down in an empty chair in the nurse station. Emily, a veteran in the ER, looked up from her charts to laugh at her. 

"Pre-holiday syndrome, huh?", She teased Pyra. 

"Emily, I'm so ready for vacationing that if anything goes remotely wrong in the next two weeks I'll just add diazepam in everyone's IV drop so that I can rest". She took a gulp from her water bottle. 

For the past month she had been fixing the details of the vacation she would take in Ireland. Usually she would go to visit her parents for a few days, but they had been saving money and would be going out on vacation themselves. Since the moment she asked Andrew if he was serious about having her over, he had gone all out and into planning mode. A couple of days later, at 3 am in the morning, came an email with a document containing a detailed two-week vacation plan in Dublin and its surroundings. To be honest, she had done little to no research, which was not like herself, but she trusted Andrew to take her to the best places, even if not the most touristic ones.

"Where are you going to, doc?", Emily had just abandoned her work completely and turned her chair to look at Pyra. 

"Ireland!", She said excitedly before groaning, "I just want to be there already". The last week had been particularly strenuous, and that along the excitement of getting to know a different country just made her feel on the edge.

"Just two weeks to go, darling. What are you visiting? I can't think of something touristic there at the top of my head, to be honest". 

"It's not as popular as other places, is it? I'm visiting a friend, actually. He hasn't told me where we are going. He says it's a surprise". 

Emily opened here eyes really wide, her thin eyebrows almost touched each other in a worrisome gesture, "Darling, I know you are no child. But are you sure this is safe. You are not meeting them for the first time, are you?", She asked urgently, her tone darkened. 

"Oh, no, no, no!", Pyra shook her head vigorously. "Don't worry. We've known each other for years now. He wants me to get to know his city. He's all mysterious because he's been planning a tour for me for months. He's a good guy". 

"Oh!", Emily's demeanour changed completely, "a good guy. I see", she said playfully. "Just use protection, darling. We can't trust no one. Only if they get themselves tested negative, of course." She said fixing a couple of her greying dreadlocks. Pyra laughed whole heartedly. 

"it’s not like that. Besides, you know I don't trust my own shadow. I think I'd be just fine". 

The older lady put a hand up in front of her and said, "Amen!".

When she was doing her last check on the patients notes her resident had written Emily walked by and said, “Don’t worry, darling. She doesn’t trust her own shadow” and left the young doctor with a small smile on his lips. “It’s nothing personal, Ian”. Pyra told him and told him she would wait for him to pick up his stuff so they could both go home since he was too done for the day.

Ian was a good doctor, if a bit shy. He was new in the city and his birthday had been a couple of days before, she invited him for dinner at a small restaurant two blocks down from the hospital. It was the first time Ian was living alone, he still hadn’t bonded much with his fellow residents, it wasn’t his fort. But he was happy and really enjoying his time at the hospital. 

“it’s important that you’re comfortable. Don’t let the pressure get you down. It can be too much some times but you can talk to me whenever you need to, alright?”, Pyra offered over her steak.

“Thank you. You are really nice.”

“I think what we need the most is support from our superiors, you know? Working there is hard enough.”, she said with a smile that reached her eyes, “Eros, though, he’ll be asking a thousand questions everyday, so you better step up your revising game, my friend”.

Ian nodded, wide eyed, “He does like to ask a lot. I’m not one to put my hand up though”, he said looking down, “He didn’t seem to like that. Kept directing the questions to me for the rest of the round”.

“He knows you’re smart. Just… try not to look so mortified every time he looks at you”.

“Oh, god.” He covered his blushing face with both hands, “I wish I could control my face”.

Pyra laughed in sympathy, “It’s good, you’re honest. Patients like that”.

When she got home she found Eros in the kitchen heating some leftover pizza in the microwave.

“Hey, kid. Have you eaten yet?”, he greeted her with his eyes glued to his phone.

“Yes. I went to Sandra’s with Michaels”, she opened the fridge and took out one of her frozen chocolate bars.

“He looks like he’s going to faint every time I ask him something”, he chuckled shaking his head, “He has great memory, though. Recites lab results like he’s reading them from the paper. Maybe I’ll give him a tequila shot every morning with his coffee before rounds so he can loosen up”.

“Don’t you dare get my residents drunk”, she offered him a bite, he took it directly from the bar, “not at the hospital, anyway. I heard they wanted to throw a party next weekend to celebrate they getting in the program. Are you going?”.

“As is I would miss it. I told them you’d be preparing some of that sketchy cocktail you learned during your intern year”.

“Is not sketchy!”, she told him offended, “It’s delicious”.

“Yeah, right. Gets you drunk faster than you can say ‘Hey, this actually looks like Diprivan’”.

“That’s why it’s called propofol, idiot.”, she rolled her eyes and took the last bit of chocolate into her mouth as she made her way out.

“Wait, really?”, he finally looked up and called, “I thought you were kidding! What kind of training did they give you in that place?!”.

Pyra’s loud laughter could be heard from her bedroom.

_-do you think I might be needing more than 3 different shoes?_

_-Probably yes. Do you own any boots?_

_-yup._

_-Ready for the endless hiking trips_

_-heh. Not quite. But I would also recommend comfortable shoes._

_-do you think I’d be needing heels?_

_-Nope._

_-nice. I’m liking the sound of this trip._

_-Do you think you can make some space in your suitcase for some of those cookies you sent me the other day._

_-Ha! I knew you were going to love them._

_-I’m now a loyal subject of the cookie king._

_\- You can’t see me but I’m kneeling._

_-Yeah, right. You’re probably in the toilet_

_-Ew. Why do you have to ruin everything_

_-I’m just very desensitized lol._

_-You can send all your shit jokes my way. I won’t mind._

_-Truly revolting… I’ll look up some and call you later to share my findings._

_-My idea of a perfect evening._


	12. Chapter 12

Sunday mornings were always quiet in the Hozier-Byrne household for as long as Andrew could remember. With both parents of age, and himself and his brother now grown adults, this morning was no exception.

As he opened his eyes and drowsily tried to adjust to the light coming in through his childhood bedroom window, he blindly looked for his phone. First checking the hour, quarter past nine. Then the notifications, as he had found himself as of late, looking for text from Pyra. There wasn't one, so he paid a quick visit to the bathroom before checking everything else that had accumulated overnight.

He made his way downstairs skipping one step at the time, only wearing socks on his feet. When he walked into the kitchen his father was stirring something in a pan and his mother sat quietly reading with a probably already cold cup of tea.

"Morning!", he leaned down and kissed his mother’s hair.

"Morning, dear. Did you sleep well?" She asked as she dog eared the page she was reading and closed the book.

Andrew hummed in affirmation, sliding closer to the stove.

"I hope you are hungry, lad. I'm trying this new recipe I found online".

"What is it?", He peaked over his father's shoulder.

"Ah-ah!", His father tutted, "it's a surprise".

His father refused to tell him the name of the plate until he guessed one of the ‘special’ spices that were thrown into it. Which, apparently, was the point of the whole thing. He tried three times and couldn’t get it, so he gave up and just ate. It was delicious, anyway. And dad enjoyed that mysterious twist in the culinary arts way too much.

"A friend is coming to visit in a couple of weeks", he commented using a piece of bread to take the last of the crimson red sauce that stained the plate, "Maybe I can bring her over so you can show off a little". He carelessly put the bread into his mouth. His moustache caught a small drop of dressing.

His father beamed at the possibility, "Of course! I already know what I'm doing. Your auntie Esther told me about this lad she met. A truffle dealer!".

"Really?", mom asked as she offered her son a napkin and subtly gestured to her upper lip.

"Really. He's Bertie's grandson. Bertie the knitter". Both mother and son nodded in recognition. They knew Bertie the knitter.

"There's no need for anything fancy, dad. She's just-". Andrew tried as he wiped his mouth.

"Nonsense! Now tell me, when is this lassie coming over. I need to prepare", his voice was firm as his face solemn.

Andrew sighed, there was no escape now.

Andrew took the week off work to prepare for Pyra's arrival. He changed the sheets on his spare bedroom, vacuumed the carpet and deep cleaned the bathroom. He took a whole day to stock up the kitchen, and put on his gardening gloves and gave the bushes a trim.

- _ Hey, man. Dad wants to know if your friend eats fish. _

- _ What does that even mean. _

- _????? _

- _ Haha. Pyra is coming over and dad wants to cook for her. _

- _ Always the show off _

- _ Pyra is coming over? What _

- _ Why? _

- _ Is she in Ireland? For work? _

- _ No. She’s coming on vacation. I told her she could stay at mine. _

- _ Why the fuck is she coming on vacation? The Caribbean is so much closer? _

- _ No. I mean _

- _ I invited her over and then she is coming on vacation. _

- _ Ah…. I see now… _

- _ It all makes sense. _

- _ 😉😉 _

- _ It’s not like that. _

- _ Yeah. Keep telling yourself that andy _

- _ It isn’t. _

- _ Maybe we should talk about this over a drink. _

- _ There’s nothing to talk about _

- _ Fucking yes there is. _

- _ Free therapy and alcohol. The best offer you’ll be getting _

- _ I’ll come by at yours around eight. Have some things to take care of at work first. _

- _ Do I even have a say in this? _

- _ No 😊 _

__

__

__

Andrew was fooling around with his guitar when he heard Jon’s car pulling over in the driveway. Elwood jumped over the coffee table in his excitement and ran for the door before it opened.

“Hey!” Jon greeted, “if I isn’t my favourite boy!”. He made kissing noises to the dog before pulling a treat from his jacket pocket, “sit!” Elwood obeyed immediately but his tail wiggling so strongly his butt moved with it. “Such a good lad. Here you go” he said and gave it to the dog.

“I want a cookie too”, Andrew said placing his guitar gently on it’s stand.

“You don’t deserve it.” Jon said as he handed his brother a plastic bag that made a clinking noise when moved.

“Sod off”. Andrew said and went to the kitchen to retrieve a bottle opener for the beers.

“Do you have any chips? The ones I like. Couldn’t find any on my way here”.

“In the cabinet.” Andrew said using his chin to point to the small wooden door.

“Aha!”, Jon cheered and opened the bag of chips as he used his knee to close the door. He hummed happily, “Delicious smell. Superb flavour. The best chips, truly.”

“It’s just vinegar and salt”, Andrew commented as he passed his brother a bottle.

“How dare you? You and your uneducated palate can leave us alone”.

“This is my house”, they bickered on their way back to the living room.

“That means nothing to me”, he said as he sat down on the recliner and then took a sip from his beer. “Mmm… this is nice. Want some chips?”.

Andrew chuckled and left his bottle on the table to walk closer and take a fistful of chips before sitting down himself.

"So… Who is this mystery friend who's coming over?" Jon asked casually. Elwood came strolling casually and laid beside him to play with his favorite chew toy: Andrew's old slipper.

Andrew managed the rest of the chips into his mouth in one go to gain time. 

"Wait… do I know her?", Jon took a swig from his beer, his look suspicious. 

Andrew nodded with his cheeks puffed and the chips crunching between his teeth. He swallowed hard and downed it with a but of beer. 

"Well, erm… kind of…"

Jon looked inquisitively at his brother, urging him to elaborate. 

"Uh… I don't know if you remember her… erm… Pyra?" 

Jon's eyebrows shot up his forehead. 

"I know what you are thinking-" Andrew rushed to say

"Do your now?", His brother asked.

"No, listen. I-".

"Andy, hey.", Jon put down his drink and the bag of chips. He sat up straighter and looked at his brother in the eyes. "I'm just worried about you. You were in a rough state when you came back from the states when you broke up… I don't even know exactly what happened because you didn't tell me… I'm not judging, I'm just, erm... worried". 

Andrew shut his eyes tight and rubbed on them with the pads of his fingers. 

"Ehm." He blinked a couple of times to focus on Jon again. "We had a big fight. And I was angry because she kept putting her work before me." Andrew sighed,"I, ehm, I might have been doing the same? She said that to me. She also told me that I was being a selfish asshole because I already had a career and she was working her butt off to build one for herself. It kind of… it was a tender topic for me back then. I was terrified of being a one hit wonder".

He looked at his brother, his eyes were soft and understanding. He nodded, prompting him to continue. 

"I… i don't recall the exact words but she said that it sounded like we were better off without each other and I just said  _ fine _ . Then she shouted,  _ Fine _ !" He used his hands to mimic her, shaking them on both sides of his head, "and then just left. I took the first flight back to Dublin in the morning and never heard of her until July…". 

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes. 

"It, erm… it sounds rough. I'm sorry". His brother sounded truly empathic. He nodded. 

"It was. But when we found each other in New York we talked it through. We've been in contact ever since. I've missed her". 

"Is it...Are you…" Jon was finding it hard to choose the right words. "Andy are you sure this is a good idea?". 

" I am. We are not… I mean… It's different now. We're not together. But it's nice."

Jon nodded. He kept nodding and said nothing. 

"I think it's because the things that broke us apart are not an issue anymore. We've changed. Both of us. For the better". Andrew said, finally relaxing his posture. Elwood whined at Jon's feet and wagged his tail. 

"For the better" Jon echoed and they shared a smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I had taken this long... Damn. I'm sorry. Got in a bit of a writers block. Thanks for reading


	13. Chapter 13

_I’m at the airport. Cant feel my legs_

_Lmfao_

_He’s picking you up?_

_On my way to look for him atm_

_Cuídate, bebé._

_:*_

After texting Eros and telling him she had arrived safely at the Dublin Airport she went to retrieve her luggage. Rolling the small red suitcase by her side she made her way to the closest escalator where she was supposed to meet Andrew.

She spotted him from far away, his tall frame and wild curls were unmistakable. He was looking in all the wrong ways, which made her smile. She quickened her pace and when she was no more than two meters away, she called his name.

His head snapped in her direction and a grin stretched across his face.

“Hey!”, he exclaimed and in two steps he was right in front of her. Before she could greet him properly, she found herself surrounded by his arms in a tight embrace.

“Oh!”, he groaned, “it’s so good to see you”. She felt his words reverberating on their chests.

“It’s good to see you too!”, she told him. They parted and he offered to take her luggage.

“Are you hungry? We can pick up something on our way back. Or eat out… we can pick something on the way and eat in the car”, he gave her the options as they went through the crowd.

“I’d like that, actually”, she said, and he nodded happily.

They found Andrews car, a dark grey vehicle with tinted windows, he unlocked the doors and opened the back seat one to put in Pyra’s luggage. She hopped into the passenger’s seat and was already locking her seatbelt when Andrew got behind the steering wheel.

“It’ll warm up in a bit so you can take off your… erhm… layers”, he commented as he drove out of the airport.

“Oh! Thanks. I feel like the Michelin man.”, she already felt her calves getting warmer. Five minutes later she was already taking off her seatbelt and struggling to undress without disturbing Andrew’s driving.

“You’ll get us killed”, he joked. In a red light he helped her take off her thick knitted sweater that had gotten stuck on her head.

“Oh god no! It would be so embarrassing!”, she threw her clothes to the back and buckled in before they moved again. “Can you imagine? _Tourist found half undressed in car crash. She elbowed driver on the face._ ”

“The attached photo featuring you, half of your body bloody and out the window. The jumper stuck on your head”. He said before joining her laughing brightly.

Andrew took them to a local burger’s drive through. Pyra ate her order in record time and fed him fries between bites.

“Want a sip?”, she offered his drink’s straw.

“Yeah”, he tilted his head and looked for the tip with his lips without taking his eyes off the road. A gulp followed by a satisfied sound. “Thank you”.

She hummed in affirmation and gave him another bite of his burger.

“Are you still hungry?”, he asked.

“I’m fine now. How long before we get to your house?”.

“About fifteen minutes. Twenty if it starts raining. Erhm… You can sleep if you’re tired. I know what those transatlantic flights are like”.

“No, I’m alright. Do you mind if I take my shoes off, though? My feet are killing me”.

“Go ahead”, he chuckled. Pyra took her sneakers off with a practiced movement and sat cross legged on the seat. She started rubbing at her arch.

Before they knew it, Andrew was parking in front of his house and helping Pyra and her suitcase out of the car.

“Elwood might try to jump on you, but he doesn’t bite”, he told her. Once in front of the front door, Pyra heard the distinct sound of dog nails tapping excitedly against the floor.

Andrew opened the door and walked in first. Elwood jumping excitedly, trying to find his way to Pyra.

“Easy, boy. Be gentle.” He kneeled on the floor and scratched behind his ears. “This is Pyra. She’s a friend. Be a good boy and behave”.

Pyra closed the door behind her before kneeling beside Andrew and petting the dog, enjoying the feeling of his thick fur.

“Hey, darling. Aren’t you a delight! Look at you! So cute!”, Elwood let himself be loved before moving closer for a hug too fast toppling her over.

“Oh, shit!” she laughed loudly as the dog tried to lick her face. “oh! No, no. No licking!”.

“Hey, boy. Look what I got you!”, Andrew shook a treat that had magically materialized in his hand and Elwood was off Pyra in a flash. He threw it into the hallway and helped Pyra up.

“Sorry, he gets excited”, he said apologetically.

“He is huge!”, she said fixing her clothes. Looking for her sweater as the house was colder than the car. “I think he liked me”.

“He’s a friendly lad. If a bit erhm… imperious”, he made a wide arch with his arm, “May I take you to your room?”.

“Yes, thank you. I could use a shower, if you don’t mind”. Pyra said as she followed him through the house and up the stairs.

“Of course! Make yourself at home. I’ll show you around after if you’re up to it”.

The walls were painted in a nice pearl colour with dark brown details, and covered in numerous frames of paintings, photos and vinyls. The ceilings were tall, their footsteps knocking in harmony against the wooden floors.

Andrew put the suitcase on the bed and clapped his hands once, leaving them joined over his chest, “I’ll be downstairs. If you need anything just call for me. I’m sure I’ll hear your voice”.

“Are you calling me loud, Andrew?”, she crossed her arms over her chest and gave him an inquisitive look.

“I would never”, he said with a toothy grin.

“Yeah, right”, she teased.

Before going out of the room Andrew hugged her one more time. “I’m really happy you’re here”. 

“Thank you for having me”, she said and squeezed his arm.

“Gladly”, he was smiling even with his eyes, “I’ll get out of your hair now”. He said finally before going out.

The hot water on Pyra’s skin was a blessing, she took her time under the spray cracking every joint that felt like it needed it. Such a long flight started to feel awfully similar to a 24 hours shift.

With her hair still wet and covered by a thick hoodie with her university’s name embroidered on it she made her way though the house looking for Andrew. She found him in the living room, playing with Elwood, who dropped the toy he had in his mouth, as soon as he noticed her.

“Hey, there!” she gladly petted him as she tried to approach the couch Andrew was sitting on.

“How do you feel?”, he asked her once they were sitting side by side and Elwood had gone back to his chewing toy.

“Ugh!”, she flopped onto the couch dramatically. “My body was not made for an airplane”.

“I don’t think anyone was”, he commented.

“I used to want to be a flight attendant, you know?”, she said.

“Really?”, he asked incredulous.

“Yeah! Ever since I watched that movie with Gwyneth Paltrow… uh…”, she closed her eyes and snapped her fingers trying to remember the name.

“View from the top?”, he suggested.

“Exactly that one!”, she said, and offered her hand for a high five.

“We could watch it later if you’d like”, Andrew offered.

“Sure”.

Later, as they shared a bowl of popcorn over Gwyneth broken dreams, they couldn’t help but to think how much they were enjoying each other’s company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Cuídate, bebé"-- Take care, baby. 
> 
> I guess the writers block is gone now? LOL   
> Here, have another chapter.


	14. Chapter 14

The night Pyra arrived Andrew offered to cook at home, since he knew she was tired from the flight, even if she kept brushing it off.

“is there anything you don’t eat?”, he asked as offered her a seat at the kitchen bar.

“No, anything’s fine”, she said, taking her phone out of her back pocket to sit more comfortably.

“I’ll make some pasta and… ehm…”, he opened the fridge door and stuck his head in. “I have some chicken breasts… is that alright?”, he straightened up and looked at her for affirmation.

“Yeah, sure. Thank you”, she said as she fidgeted with her phone and rolled it on top of the popsocket attached to the back.

Andrew offered her a smile and took all the ingredients he needed from the fridge in one go, balancing all the containers in one arm.

“Is that a speaker?”, Pyra asked him. In the corner, right beside the box with his tea selection, stood a small speaker in the shape of a juke box.

“It is! I got if for my birthday last year. You can play something if you want”, he placed a wood chopping board on the counter.

“I will”, she went to turn it on and synced it with her phone. As she scrolled through her playlists she saw Andrew touching his wrists and then the pockets of his pants. “What is it?”.

“I need a hair band. I’ll go get one”, he turned to go out the kitchen.

“Here”, Pyra said as she offered her hand, a thin forest green hairband circled her wrist.

“Oh! Thanks. I’ll give it back later”, he used his thumb and index finger to pull it form her wrist. Ince in his hand he stretched it on his fingers and tied his curls at the back of his head.

Pyra found her playlist named _“Chill but in a productive way”,_ she selected it and _Andante, andante_ by Abba started to play. Still focusing on the task at hand, Andrew hummed in appreciation.

She made herself a place on top of the counter, happily popping into his mouth the peanuts Andrew had given her from what seemed to be his snack cabinet. She tried to make herself useful but was thoroughly prevented from it by Andrew telling her, again and again, that she was a guest in his house.

“Do you think…”, Andrew started after taking a sip from his glass of water, “do you think my beard is too long?”. He finished and scratched absently at the auburn hairs on his chin.

Pyra choked on her own drink and coughed a couple of times before chuckling. “What?”.

He shrugged, “I don’t know. I think it’s getting too long”.

She stared at him, her face serious and her head cocked to the side.

“Do you like it as it is?”, she asked him earnestly. He stopped his forkful of pasta midway to his mouth. He pondered on the question.

“I do”, he finally answered and took the food into his mouth.

“Then it doesn’t matter what I think”, she told him and that made him smile.

“I was just asking for your opinion”, he said.

“My opinion isn’t worth two fucks”, Pyra stated, smiling back at him, “It does look great, though. Long but very well looked after. Very tidy”.

Andrew laughed shaking his head, “Yeah? I try”. Pyra hummed, her mouth full.

“I can see that”, she said with a wink.

“Mhm. Very well, Doctor Watson. Very atentive to detail", he nodded, his accent turning very thick.

“It is all thanks to your teachings, my dear Holmes”, she mimicked an English accent and failing miserably.

“Oh God no”, he exclaimed cringing and shaking his head repeatedly. A lock of hair drifting to the side of his face.

“I’m so sorry”, she groaned before cackling a laugh at his expression.

“Please don’t do that ever again”, he pleaded.

“I swear I won’t”, she said with a hand over her heart and tears on the corner of her eyes, coughing out one last laugh.

When their food was gone, Andrew offered her a glass of vanilla ice cream. The sat together in the living room, Elwood by their feet.

“You know what would go really well with this?”, she asked before poking her tongue out to lick a drop of melted yellow sweetness from her wrist, “crackers”.

“I don’t have any left.”, he said using the back of his index finger to wipe some ice cream from his upper lip.

“Oh! I forgot! I got you something”, she suddenly exclaimed and put her glass on the coffee table before running upstairs. Andrew and Elwood shared a look.

“I don’t know either, buddy”, he told the dog, who just laid back down and closed his eyes.

Pyra’s steps came closer. “Close your eyes!”, she said excitedly from the hallway and Andrew obeyed.

“Alright”, he said in a confused tone.

“Are they closed?”, she asked, this time in the same room.

“They are”, the last word had barely made it’s way out of his mouth when multiple objects were dropped on top of him.

“What-“, he tried to hold everything, his eyes not yet processing what he saw.

“Merry Christmas, kid!”, she blurted out, a grin splitting her face.

Multiple boxes and small bags laid scattered on the couch. 

“Where did you put all of this?”, he asked, “You only had one suitcase”.

“All cookies” her smile was nearly manic, “Well, not really. But mostly. All of my clothes came in the carry on backpack. Which aren’t a lot… I can borrow your washing machine, right?”.

“Of course,” he told her, “Yes, of course. Oh dear. Thank you so much. You didn’t have to” he said, taking a closer look at the package he held in his right hand. “are this the once you sent me that time?”.

“No. Some are made by the same brand, though. I’m sure you’d like them.” She started to sort through the packages and organized them on the coffee table by type as she finished what was left of her melted dissert. 

"You didn't have to. Thank you" he said earnestly. 

She scoffed, "I really did have to. How else would you have gotten them?". 

"Cookies black market?", He grinned stupidly. 

"I'm taking a package for that bad joke", she looked at him unnamused. 

"Which one should we try?", He asked, holding a small package closer to read it. 

"Those should be good. Cinnamon goes well with the ice cream", she took it from his hands and opened it, offering the contents for him to take one first. 

If asked, Andrew will never admit emitting that sound for a cookie. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm writing so much more than I thought I would be these days.   
> Thanks for reading


	15. Chapter 15

Andrew got up early in the morning, the sun hadn’t even raised properly yet. He went through his morning routine normally, and let his hair air dry as he prepared what they would bring with them to the forest. Today was hiking day.

He knocked on Pyra’s room when it seemed like a sensible hour. Received by a puffy eyed woman with her hair sticking in all the wrong places.

“Hey”, she greeted him with a raspy voice. “Did I sleep in? I don’t even know what time it is”. She patted her clothe sin search of her phone. It wasn’t there. She looked back inside and saw it on the bedside table.

“It’s fine. I’ll wait for you downstairs. We can pick up some breakfast on our way there.”, he said quietly, and after she nodded in affirmation he went downstairs to finish packing what would be their lunch. 

"I'm ready", Pyra called on her way down the stairs, as she zipped up her brown leather jacket. "Is he going with us?", She asked looking at Elwood who was sleeping soundly on his bed beside the couch. 

"I'm afraid not. He's not a big fan. Get's nervous and would want to come back in just a few minutes." He kneeled down and scratched behind the dog's ears. 

"We'll be back soon, buddy". He got a huff in response. "Everything's on the car already. We should get going". 

Pyra hummed and followed Andrew as he locked the front door. 

"Is it too far away?", She asked as she pulled the car door open. 

Andrew shook his head, his curls swaying with the movement. He put the backpack over his shoulders and locked the car. "Welcome to mother nature's greatest gift!". He exclaimed dramatically gesturing around them with open arms and a wide green. 

"I am mother nature's greatest gift", Pyra told him with a smirk. He gasped, offended, a hand over his heart. 

She stood behind him, closing her eyes for a second, breathing in the earthly scent. "Take me to the fae realm, your highness", she told him with a smile. 

"It would be my pleasure", he said with a bow and offered her his arm. They walked like that for a few minutes before letting go.

"We're gonna go to a small creek. We can rest there if you want". 

"Sure." Pyra answered absentmindedly looking up and around. "Not to be cheesy but… It's so beautiful". She said with a voice softened by amazement. 

Andrew just looked at her. Her eyes sparkling, her cheeks rosy, surrounded by vibrant greens and browns, life itself, and the soft wind blowing the small hairs at the top of her head. 

After talking to his brother about her he had realized a couple of things. First of all, he was completely sure of wanting to have her close again. Over the last few weeks an irrational fear had jumped into his mind, keeping him up at night, thinking about the possibility of liking Pyra from the distance but as soon as they were physically together the perks of it, the filtering of words and actions to only show what would be nice to show, would be gone and the core of the troubles that had pulled them apart would resurface and throw the whole thing to hell.

Fortunately, it had not been the case. As he had been enjoying every second of Pyra being there, with him, even more than he thought he would. Which took him to another idea, one that had surfaced that same night, after his brother left. A scary one. He had started to think of him getting himself the wrong ideas, as he tended to, and wanting to work his way to a different kind of relationship with her. Which he knew was not even sure was what he wanted.

He was listening to her talk, about moss on threes and being able to distinguish only three different types of birds int the unintelligible bustle that came down from the treetops. But he couldn’t help but think that deep down, he missed their old times, the good times. Not that he didn’t enjoy what they had going on, it was fantastic. Having her for a friend, even a whole ocean apart, had been a truly exceptional experience. He started questioning if they would have worked out better before if they had just gone for friendship instead of throwing themselves head first into a romantic relationship.

He sighed.

“What is it?”, she asked him, taking him out of his own troubled mind.

“hmm? Oh, nothing. Just thinking”. It wasn’t a lie.

“Do you want to talk about it?”, she had stopped walking and was looking up at him tenderly.

Andrew shook his head gently, “Maybe later”.

“Alright”, she offered him a smile, “Want to see something cool?”.

He nodded. She licked her lips and a whistling sound came from them, incredibly similar to what the birds had been singing. She tried it again, this time she got excited chirping from the trees as an answer.

“What!?” , he exclaimed, “how did you do that?”.

Pyra shrugged, “A hidden talent, I guess.” She whistled again, this time earning a response from a different group of birds.

“You call me a fae to my face when you can walk into the middle of the forest and counicate with birds?”, his face twisted with an incredulous frown. “How dare you?”.

She chuckled, “It was to deviate the attention from me”.

“Well, it sure as hell worked”, he was grinning. Looking up, trying to find the birds between the twigs and leaves. “Wouldn’t have taken you to for a Disney princess”, he commented as they started walking again.

“Ha! I wouldn’t take myself for one either… not with all the vulgarities that come out of my mouth”.

Andrew’s laugh was so loud the birds flew from above their heads. “You’re right about that one”.

Pyra, as Andrew let her know, was being very _Tolkien-y_ about their excursion; stoping every five meters to take pictures or note some detail about the foliage.

“Listen, mister I live within a walking distance from a forest”, he tried to point out they had gotten there by car, she didn’t let him, “I am enjoying myself very much. So be nice and shut up.”

“Yes, ma’m”, he said trying to hold his laughter, “Want me to take a picture of you”, he offered.

“Oh! Yes!”, she handed him her phone with excitement. “Thank you”.

“No problem”.

When they sat down by the creek Pyra had dozens of new pictures of her, the forest, Andrew and the both of them together.

She used her backpack as a pillow and laid down perpendicularly to where Andrew was sitting, as he munched down on a chocolate bar.

When she was done looking through the pictures, she locked her phone and laid it on her sternum, she sighed and closed her eyes.

“I wish I could just live here”, she said dreamily.

“Hmm?”, he inquired with his mouth still full.

“Not in Ireland, exactly. Just like… by a little nice creek in the middle of the forest”.

“Your hermit-ness is reaching new levels”, he said and used a finger to brush a stray lock of hair from Pyra’s face before he could stop himself.

She opened one eye, “You think?”.

“Yes. But I can see the appeal. It sounds very nice”, he said.

“So very nice”, she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am on fire! lol


	16. Chapter 16

"Can I ask you something?", Pyra asked breaking the silence that had surrounded them for the last half an hour as they laid head to head on the ground, their bodies going on opposite directions. 

She only got a hum to acknowledge her question. Both of them laying still with their eyes closed. 

"Did you hate me?", She said. 

Andrew didn't respond right away, "What do you mean?", He asked, his voice a low rumble that almost was mixed and lost in the stream that passed beside them. 

"Back then. When we broke up. Did you hate me?". Her voice was confident, but her whole body was bracing itself for the answer. 

"No…", a couple of breaths passed, "I don't think I ever did. I was very ehm… angry. Furious, actually. But I don't…", he sighed, defeated. 

"I did hate myself. A little, at least. I was always a dick to you. And all you ever did was-". 

"What? No, no", he interrupted. "It wasn't just you. I should have been more understanding. I don't think I supported you enough". 

Pyra sighed and turned her head to look at him. He did the same. 

"Do you think we went too fast? Would it have worked if we were just friends?". 

They stared into each other's eyes. Andrew wished he had thought about it more thoroughly that night instead of forcing himself to sleep. 

"I don't know", he said honestly. 

Pyra looked down nodding. "I've been thinking about it a lot lately. About us." She turned to look at the sky. It stunned him. They laid in silence again. 

"Since we started talking again, I just kept thinking how much time we wasted. But at the same time… I couldn't help but think we wouldn't have worked in any way. Not even as friends", she chuckled. 

Andrew found himself mirroring her smile, "We’re so much better now. I like us better now", he said. "I mean... ehm… I like myself a lot better now. And I think I like the current you better too."

She hummed. "Me too". 

After a few breaths she turned to look at him again. Neither said anything, they just stared at each other in silence. 

“Would you like to go out tonight?”, this time it was him who broke the silence.

“Where to?”

“I could show you around town. If you are too tired, we could just go home. There’s plenty of time”.

“Oh”, she said surprised, “I thought you had a schedule”.

“I do. I just kept the first few days… ehm… quite simple so that you could rest. It’s the point of vacation, innit?”, he told her.

“Thank you”, she smiled widely, “I’m alright, though. We should go”. 

Walking through the forest involved a lot more foolery this time. Their loud voices scared most animals away. Pyra tripped over a thick root that came out of the ground and laughed so hard she couldn’t take a breath to tell Andrew she was alright.

“I’m considering not taking you out anymore. You’re a danger to yourself”, he said through laughter.

With only their coats and each other, they made their way through town. Andrew walked them into a small coffee shop first. They took a seat by the window and the waiter greeted him with familiarity.

“Do you come here often?”, she asked after they had placed their orders.

“Mh? Oh. A little, I used to come more often when I was in uni. I like it. It’s cozy”

“It is”, she said looking around. Posters of old movies and records hanging on the walls, she noticed then the soft jazz music quietly playing in the background. She could see the appeal.

When their coffees arrived there was a foam cat chilling on top of her capuccino.

“Oh, god. That’s so cute!”, she exclaimed. The waiter winked at her as he placed Andrew’s order before him.

“I’ve never gotten cats on my cappuccino”, he commented with a puzzled look as Pyra was taking pictures of it.

“Maybe you’re not cute enough”, she said changing the angle, including him in the shot. The pictures captured the evolution of his frown.

“The best rendition to grumpy cat I’ve ever seen”, she told him showing him the last picture.

“Hey!”, he exclaimed, “Delete that at once”.

“Hell no! I’m making it my lockscreen”, she said giggling, putting her phone away. Andrew sighed dramatically, defeated.

“Just drink the fucking cat”, he said, his lips already touching the rim of his own cup.

Pyra smiled at him too sweetly to be sincere and happily took a sip of her coffee.

The sun was already gone when they walked out if the coffee shop. Andrew turned out to be an amazing tour guide, telling this building’s history, that family’s nexus to Vikings.

“I think you’re bullshiting me”, she told him, incredulous.

“What? Why would I do that?”, he said grinning.

“Because I can’t possibly check those facts and I’m an innocent tourist”

Andrew scoffed, “Innocent. Right”.

“I am!”, she laughd, “Just keep talking. I’ll just assume everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie”.

“You live your life like this, kid? Damn”, he teased.

“Leave me alone. Now, you were saying something about a shipwreck?”.

Andrew kept telling her stories, some seemed more plausible than others but enjoyable none the less. He had an innate talent for story telling and the rumble of his voice over the crowd was just very nice to the ears.

Eventually, they walked inside a second-hand book shop. The seller was a kind looking old lady with a couple of dogs sleeping by her feet under the register. She greeted them with a smile and offered her help if they needed it with a sweet voice.

“Got any space in your luggage for some books?” he asked as he put a lock of hair behind his ear. His eyes engrossed on the book he had in hand.

“Yeah. A lot, actually. I’m not taking the cookies back, remember?”, she was browsing the nearest shelve for something that caught her attention.

“Do you have anything to read on your way back?”, he was already forming a small pile of books in the corner of a table.

She scoffed, “Of course I do. Do you think I’d take a transatlantic plane without at least five books to pick from?”.

He held his hands up in surrender, “I would never”. She rolled her eyes smiling.

Their piles were quite different. He had picked some poetry books and a post-war novel that sounded enticing, she went for old sci-fi and mystery novels to pass the time.

“ _Black eyed blonde”_? Sounds sexy”, he commented on the cover at the top of the pile.

“It does, doesn’t it?”, she said passing it over to him, “I’ll let you know how sexy it turns out to be”.

With their books in a paper bag they left the shop. Andrew knew a place where they could buy Chinese to go and, with the promise to take her back into town another day, they made their way back home.


	17. Chapter 17

Pyra was brushing her teeth when Andrew knocked on the open door.

“Hey”, he told her. She only nodded, her mouth full of foam.

“Would you like to go have lunch at my parent’s tomorrow?”, he asked her and patiently waited for her to spit and rinse.

“I don’t want to impose”, she said through the mirror.

“Oh, no. They asked me to take you. My dad wants an excuse to cook a fancy meal and my mother probably just wants to embarrass me”.

“Well, she won’t have to work to hard. That one’s easy to do”, she teased with a smirk.

“Right. Why did I offer you my home, again?”, he threw his head back and rested on the door frame with a long sigh.

“Because you like me. My wits keep you young”, she said, turning around and resting a hip on the sink.

“So… we go, then?”, he asked.

“Sure. Are you going to bed now?”. They walked together to her bedroom. 

"I'll be reading for a bit. In case you need anything, you need where I'll be", he said. 

"Thanks, dear", she said right before closing the door. 

Oop-. That one had slipped. Although she was one for terms of endearment even with her friends, she wasn't sure if it was okay for her to use them with him. She guessed there was nothing inherently wrong in it. He was very dear to her, after all. Better get some sleep. She was going to meet the Hoziers tomorrow and she better be as rested as possible. 

It wasn't until he was two pages into his reading that his brain caught up to him. The familiarity of her calling him that, such that he hadnt even noticed at first. It was such a comforting feeling. His warm smile got bitter when an intrusive thought appeared. What if he wanted to be called that more often. What if he wanted her to call him 'corazón', just as she used to before. 

He groaned. Why couldn't he just be happy and enjoy the moment. They were in good terms. It was a sweet friendship. They were doing great but-

Fuck it. He better turn everything off, including his idiotic brain, and go to sleep. 

In the morning he tried to act normal. As if his mind hadn't been nagging him since the moment he opened his eyes. Thank God Pyra had been too sleepy to notice his quiet demeanour. 

When they were driving up his parents' street Elwood started going crazy on the back seat. 

"I'll take that as a sign of us nearing the house", she laughed brightly. 

Once given the opportunity to hop off the vehicle the dog didn't hesitate and went zooming through the garden. Beautifully crafted, full of vibrant colored flowers and sculptures of different materials. Pyra looked around mesmerized. 

"Mom's work. All of it. Including the statues". Andrew said proudly as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder to stir her away from the danger of an artificial pond that had been under construction for the past month. 

"Jesus", she exclaimed breathlessly. "What kind of deal with the devil did your family make for the talent? What the fuck?" She spat. Andrew chuckled. 

"If I told you I'd have to kill you", he said right before opening the front door. 

"ANDY!", a baritone voice boomed through the hallway before a tall man that was unmistakably Andre's father appeared with open arms.

Both men shared a tight hug before letting go and turning to her. 

“This is Pyra”, Andrew said. 

Pyra was enveloped by long arms and found herself being squeezed tightly. 

“What a lovely name”, the man said, his accent thicker than his son’s as he let go of her. 

“Thank you”, she said, discreetly fixing her clothes. “Also, thank you very much for having me”. 

“Oh, don’t mention it!”, he started walking thought the hallway and Andrew gave Pyra a little push to let her know they should follow. “We are delighted. You’ve come all the way from America to see Andy, it’s the least we could do.”

“Oh! Ehm… she didn’t come to see me, she’s on vacation”, Andrew intervened.

“Yeah, right. It’s not very likely I would have come to Ireland just for the views, my friend”. Pyra said with an ironic gesture.

Andrew was dumbfounded. He froze and blinked a couple of times. “Really?”, he said trying to dissimulate the shock in his voice.

“Dear, God”, she groaned exasperated. “Yes, really. Is that really that hard to believe?”.

It somehow was. For the las few months, since they started planning the trip, Andrew kept telling himself, reassuring himself, that Pyra was coming for vacation and vacationing alone. She was only staying with him because he wouldn’t have it any other way. But turns out she wasn’t, that he had been a factor for her to come. He couldn’t contain his grin.

Andrew’s mother, Raine, received them in the dining room, as she was walking in from the kitchen with both hands occupied with a mug each.

“Andy!”, she exclaimed and placed the mugs on the mantle, “Oh, dear, you must be Pyra”, she said sweetly, she clapped her hands gently as she walked towards them and greeted them with a hug.

“Is nice to meet you”, Pyra said, her smile reaching her eyes.

“I’m so glad you’re both here! Are you hungry? We have lunch ready. Why don’t we sit down as your father starts his show”, she said with a teasing smile towards her husband, receiving a kiss on the cheek as an answer.

They sat together, the older woman on the head of the table. “Is Jon coming?”, Andrew asked as he pulled his chair closer to the table.

“He’s already upstairs”, his mother commented.

“First”, his father, John, said coming to the table, “Freshly squeezed orange juice… with something”, he placed a glass pitcher full of yellow liquid.

“What’s the something?”, Pyra asked looking closely.

“Aha! That’s for me to know and for you lot to find out”, Andrew’s father said with an air of self-sufficiency.

Pyra grinned, “I’ll take the challenge”.

“Excellent! I’ll be bringing the rest”, he said already walking to the kitchen.

Jon chose that moment to walk in.

“Hello”, he greeted everyone. He leaned down to kiss his mother’s hair and sat in front of his brother. Once seated he offered his hand to Pyra over the table.

“Do you remember me?”, he asked.

“I do! Is nice seeing you again”, she said as they shook hands amicably.

John brought their plates with flourish. Fruit salad, yogurt, and bread to start. He had baked it himself the day before, he added. Eggs in different styles for everyone, Pyra understood why Andrew had asked her how she liked her eggs the night before, at the moment, she had just taken it as typical Andrew antics, asking random things.

As simple as it seemed, Andrew’s father made it possible to exploit every bit of flavour, adding tiny details to everything, making it extraordinary.

“Are you enjoying your stay?”, John asked, relaxing back onto his chair once his plate was clean.

“I am! Very much, actually. Thank you again for having me”, she said with a warm smile.

“Oh, don’t mention it. It’s our pleasure, really. We love having people over. Including the kids”, these last words he said to the rim of his glass.

“So, what do you do? Must be awful to want to escape it and conform with coming to Ireland instead of scaping to the Caribbean”, Raine joked.

“It’s not that bad. Neither my job or Ireland”, Pyra said with a laugh. “I’m an emergency medicine doctor”.

“Oh! How exciting!”, John exclaimed, “don’t get me wrong, lass, but how did you meet my boy? I’m not sure he frequents many doctors”.

“Was that an insult?”, Andre asked, genuinely confused.

“Ah. We met a few years back; we were both on vacation at San Francisco. Jon was there too”, Pyra told them.

“It was on the same trip we went to see the Whales in Mexico”, Jon told his parents, which seemed to spark recognition in their memories.

“You’ve been friends since then?”, Raine asked, “how marvellous”.

Andre and Pyra turned to look at each other. Both questioning the other with their eyes as how much they were going to tell.

“Not really…”, Pyra started.

“We used to date and then broke up. We started talking again last year when we met after a show in New York”, Andrew finished.

“Oh? And why was that?”, John asked, his eyes inquisitive. Andrew groaned and hid his face into his hands.

Pyra smiled at the gesture. “I wanted him to be my trophy husband and he would just not take it”, a booming laughter erupted from his father’s chest. “He kept going on and on about the integrity of the artist and all”.

Andrew pusher her playfully, “Oh, yes? And why wasn’t it the other way around, heh?”.

“Me? With your career of choice? I would have to go to all the events and press and tours. Can you imagine?”, she shivered theatrically. “The noise!... The people!”, she finished with disgust.

They all shared a laugh. “Great Mycroft impression”, Jon commented which made Pyra sit up with excitement.

“Oh, Jon! I have befriended the wrong brother!” she ignored Andrews complains, “He never gets my Sherlock references”.

“Little brother… a goldfish really”, Jon said with a grin shared by all men at that table.

“I’m sitting right here”, Andrew deadpanned. Pyra and Jon shared one more complicit smile.

“The truth is” Pyra said, “As Andrew said, we broke up. We ended in bad terms and just started talking again a few months ago. We’re cool now, as you can see” she finished with as smile and a gentle squeeze of Andrew’s arm.

Looking around the table, as conversation carried on, Andrew felt comforted, and truly happy and at easy, surrounded by the people he loved the most. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I take any opportunity to use a Sherlock reference in any aspect of my life? Yes. Yes, I do.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE, SHAWTY!!

“Such a shame he has to stay”, Pyra said with a pout as they walked through the garden.

“It’s alright, we’ll pick him up tomorrow after we come back from the castle. It’s better when mam takes him to the vet. I don’t know what she does but when I take him he just hates me for the following week”, Andre explained as they opened the car doors and got inside.

"Your parents are great!" Pyra said with her eyes closed and her head resting back on the car seat after placing carefully on the backseat the recently baked cookies John had given them to take home. 

"They are! I think they liked you", he said.

"I think so too. Your mother even showed me some videos of your old presentations", she commented.

"What!?", Andrew almost drove them out of the way. "When?! Which ones?!" He asked agitated.

Pyra laughed, her eyes still closed. "Some were more recent than others. I loved that one where you sing 'Silent night'. Seemed like you were at home. Maybe sixteen years? I don't know, you looked so young."

"Fuck's sake", he muttered, "I knew it was suspicious they hadn't tried to embarrass me".

"Oh, don't speak so ill of your parents." Pyra reprimanded him.

Andrew chuckled. "Sorry".

"Also, she didn't embarrass you. You've always been very talented. Although I must say, the training did wonders, your singing it’s what you hear when the doors of heaven open for you".

"Ehm...Right", he said incredulous.

"I mean it! With all due respect, your singing voice is better than sex".

Andrew let out a booming laughter. "Pyr…"

"I know. Perhaps it's not the best choice of words. But I mean it".

"I don't doubt it", he said trying to suppress his laughter, "But for you, I am sure I could say that-".

"I know what you are going to say. That doesn’t make it any less true"

"It’s just- not that I'm invalidating you statement. But ehm...you have to admit that it kind of losses effect when you are the one to say it".

"Ugh. You are insufferable". She groaned and finally opened her eyes. Directed a glare at him as if to say 'look what you've made me do. You've made me _look'_.

"I'll put it like this. Listening to you singing, like, how you sound at this point in life, is sometimes even better than having sex with _you._ And I must admit- and this is something that shouldn't get into your head- . I must admit that sex with you was quite amazing".

"Was it?", He asked, gobsmacked.

"Yeah, sure" she said nonchalantly.

He got silent for a few minutes.

"Was that inappropriate?", She winced. "Sorry".

"No, no! Don't apologise". Andrew hurried to say. "I just wasn't expecting that".

"Hmm? No? You'd rather me saying it was average sex?", Pyra asked honestly.

"No, I-", Andrew kept his eyes on the road but his fingers fidgeted on the steering wheel. "We haven't ehm...talked about sex…" He said, his voice.

"You want us to?", She asked cautiously.

"I mean… ehm… maybe we should". He could feel the blood rushing up to his face.

Pyra looked at him, he looked uncomfortable. It was going to be one of those hard conversations they've been having occasionally that brought up things they should have discussed when they were together. She sighed. Here they go.

"Maybe. Anything you want to say?", Her voice was gentle, she turned down the volume of the stereo.

Andrew pursed his lips. "I think… ehm… in regards of what you said before…" Andrew let out a deep breath. "Please, don't take this the wrong way…"

Pyra looked at him, she thought about saying something, but didn't want to interrupt. Andrew took a quick glance at her. Her big brown eyes focused on him, almost predatory.

"I- ehm… there was something in the back of my head… always. Ehm.", He was taking his time, Pyra thought. "Even if you explained to me in the beginning… there was always this thought in the back of my head. A voice that- ehm. Told me that it was a chore to you. Having sex, I mean. Something that you felt that you had to do. And just did it because it was what one's supposed to do.

I don't know. Even as I tried… ehm. I tried to convince myself that you wanted it too, that you enjoyed it- because it seemed like you enjoyed it- that it was just something that you _had_ to do. It always bothered me. And when I asked you about it once… you assured me it wasn't like that but I … ehm. I just thought you were lying to protect my feelings you know? **"**

He finished with his knuckles white from the pressure he was applying to his grip on the wheel. He kept his eyes trained on the road.

Pyra said nothing for a while, fixing her ideas to give the most tactful answer possible. Although what came out of her mouth was-

"Well, fuck".

Andrew didn't know what to make out of it. He was afraid of looking at her and just kept driving.

"My word wasn't enough?", She sounded offended. Oh god, what had he gotten himself into.

"I …"

"No, wait. Give me a second. " She said looking out of the window.

"I understand", she said after a moment of silence, " that it might be hard for you to understand it. Because it had happened to me the other way around. Sex with you, Andrew. Was something that I loved to do. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't actively seek it but I really enjoyed myself. And I loved that you were always in the mood. Orgasms are great. Having you so close to me was great. You want to know why? Because I loved you. I didn't fancy you, I don't do that. I loved you. And everything that came with having a relationship with you. I loved the sex because you did, and we had fun and we were together. What I'm trying to say is that I-. How do I say this? Sex is cool and all, but sex with you was the only one I wanted to have, you get me? I wanted it. I enjoyed it and given the occasion I craved it. But it wasn't the sex, it was you".

Andrew said nothing, but after a few minutes he parked on the side of the road. When the engine was off, he turned to look at Pyra.

They just stared at each other.

"Well, ehm… that was...ehm... enlightening…" he muttered. She smiled.

"Thank you for coming to my TEDtalk". She said and they both shared a laugh.

"I apologise for my thickness", he said earnestly.

She arched an eyebrow, "I thought your thickness was quite-".

"Oh, Jesus! No. No!", He exclaimed. "You're awful".

"Hey! You just put yourself on the spot. It's not my fault". She giggled, "I'm sorry too, I guess. Add this one to the list of conversations we should have had back then, eh?".

Andrew nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Sure".

They sat there, in silence, the sun was setting over the road, soft indistinguishable tunes whispered from the too low volume of the stereo. They stared at each other in silence, only their breathing and the beating of their hearts.

"Are we about to kiss, right now?", She asked. No teasing in her voice, just an honest question.

"I don't know if we should", he commented.

She scrunched up her nose, "I don't know either...but I would like that", she said with a smile that reached her eyes.

Andrew smiled, and leaned closer until his lips reached hers.

They felt each other's breath warming their faces, their lips lightly chipped by the weather.

It wasted only a few seconds, nothing more than a sweet caress of lips. They pulled apart, only a fraction of an inch.

"No", she said breathlessly. Alarms started to go off in his head.

"I-", he started to say, although he really didn't know what he was going to say.

"Oh, no! Sorry. I mean-", she chuckled awkwardly, "I don't want you to think I came here to seduce you or anything…".

"Didn't you? Could have fooled me", he teased.

"Fuck off, Andrew. We were having a moment "

"We were! But you interrupted us!"

"Do you want to keep having moments?" She asked, caution in her voice. His goofy smile gradually fell off his face.

"I… I don't know", he said quietly.

She nodded slowly. 

"I'm sorry", Andrew told her.

"What? No! Don't apologise. I'm just making things more complicated", she sighed.

"It's just… I cannot say that I haven't thought about it. It just seems… It wouldn't be easy. Us being together again… it wouldn't be easy". He used his hand to fix his hair.

Pyra looked at him, she said nothing, but her stare had no weight on it.

"I don't want us to get heartbroken again… not by each other’s hand… I like our… thing. If anything happens… I don't want to lose you again".

She looked at him for a few seconds, her eyes softened, she offered her hand and held his when he placed his palm in hers.

"You are not", she said sweetly. "I've put a lot of thought into this. Can you believe it? Me overthinking anything? Shocking, I know", she joked. "But I want You to know something. I love you, very much. Whether we are stay friends or we start dating again. It won't change. Us getting together is something I've thought about a lot, because even if I didn't live in New York and you lived here, you'd still go on tour and press and I'm sure You don't need me to explain this to you. But I think, truly, that having you in my life is a marvellous thing."

He was left speechless. The words died in his throat every time he tried to say something, so he used his hand joined to hers and pulled her in for a hug.

He rested his cheek on her hair and squeezed her hand.

"That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me". He said into her hair.

"It better be. I rehearsed it in my head a thousand times", she said into his chest. He could hear the pout in her voice.

"It came out perfectly." He kissed the crown of her head. "I like having you close".

A deep sigh came from her chest, "You won't have me close very often".

"I know…", he said defeated. “But… as little time together as we get… wouldn't it be worth it?".

She groaned. "Don't get my hopes up".

"One of us has to be the optimist, love".

"Fuck optimisms. Optimism can kiss my ass."

"I can kiss it, if you'd let me." He got a slap on the chest as an answer.

"Always the romantic, eh?"

"Of course,", he said before pulling away and holding Pyra by the shoulders.

"In all seriousness, though", she told him, "Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to try it -to try us-. If we find it to difficult, we can go back to our former arrangement. I meant what I said before".

"I know. I know you mean it." He caressed her cheek, "If it starts getting rough… we have to promise to talk about it. No holding back. At all".

"Darling, I will write you a weekly report if it's what we need".

"Good"

"Good"

"Excellent"

"Brilliant, yes".

"Care if I hold you again, for a little bit longer?"

"It sounds thrilling", she said, biting down on her lip to keep herself from grinning.


End file.
